Amber and Chocolate
by Saira3612
Summary: New student Richie Taylor arrives at Forks High, bringing with him nothing but mystery. Living on the outskirts of town, the townsfolk are already suspicious of him...and once he defies the gifts of the Cullens, he even has the vampire family intrigued. Edward/OC. SLASH. AU.
1. Intriguing

_**Amber and Chocolate**_

_**Author's Notes: Alright, let's try this again. First off, I tried doing an Edward/OC slash fic before and I couldn't get past the first chapter. I got ideas, but they all stemmed from Bella never being around, or being completely nonexistant. So, to that end, I'm revamping my entire story, starting from Twilight itself. Once again, this will be Edward and a male version of Bella, but with my own little fun add-ons. Hope you guys enjoy!**_

_**Fandom: Twilight  
Pairing: Primarily Edward/Richie, other couples are completely canon.**_  
_**Rating: M.**_  
_**Summary: New student Richie Taylor arrives at Forks High, bringing with him nothing but mystery. Living on the outskirts of town, the townsfolk are already suspicious of him...and once he defies the gifts of the Cullens, he even has the vampire family intrigued.**_

_**Prologue - Intriguing.**_

If there was something odd about someone they'd never seen before humming to himself as he walked into the halls of Forks High School on his first day, everyone made that clear by staring at him and giving him a wide berth as if he was some three-headed demon monster. It was just as well. Right now, he preferred to just be by himself and his own thoughts, being far too shy to actually say much of anything to any of them without coming off as stuttering moron, which given his actual intelligence, wasn't all that surprising.

But, given the fact that he moved here in July, and kept pretty much to himself also made the townsfolk wary of him. Especially when they were a seventeen year old high school student sophomore. Everyone jumped at the chance to finally get to know the 'recluse on the edge of the woods.'

It wasn't as if he was unaware of the nickname, far from it, actually. He'd heard people gossip and stare if he went into town for groceries, saying he was some sort of freaky drug pusher. Drug dealer. It was usually one or the other. Recluse on the edge of the woods was actually very tame compared to some of the other names he'd heard. He even liked it, mainly because he thought it was funny that it was true. And also because it would only serve to piss any haters off even more.

He was waiting until the day they found out he was gay, which would more than likely be this very day. Then, they'd more than likely start up some new rumor. Coming here to corrupt and turn their innocent children the way of the rainbow. he didn't want to cause any trouble, he'd had enough of that at home before...everything happened.

Humming the chorus of what he referred to as his 'lullaby', he ended up running smack into a wall...or what he thought of as a wall. it was then that he found out the 'wall' actually turned out to be a person. A tall person, a bout six feet tall, wearing a tight gray t-shirt, black jeans, and had messy bronze hair that stuck up but was styled, making him look like he just rolled out of bed. "D'oh! Uh, s-sorry about that..." Already, he was stuttering. Perfect.

Tall bronze haired guy just tilted his head a bit, his brow crinkling in confusion, before seeming to come out of a stupor. "No big deal. No damage done."

Already convinced he was being labelled as a freak, he felt himself turning pink, something that would be easily spotted under his normally pale skin. "Good..." His voice came out quiet, so quiet he almost thought this guy missed it, but from his nod, it was clear he'd heard it, though the frown was still present between his eyebrows. No big deal. Probably wondering who the heck the gay weirdo who bumped into him was. It wasn't anything new, or unusual. There was a reason he preferred the quiet solitude of libraries, his own room, a book, music, or a game.

As he continued on his path toward the administrations office and getting lost twice, he never looked back, never really looked around. If he had, he might've seen the bronze-haired guy he'd run into watching his every move when they passed by each other twice more.


	2. Who Is He?

_**Chapter 1 - Who Is He?**_

**Author's Notes: I haven't forgotten about Safe in the Arms of Love, just so anyone knows that. I'm just experiencing a severe case of writer's block as far as that story goes, and this one's been clamoring to get out, so this is the one I'm working on for awhile now. Don't worry, updates will occur on both of them! I own nothing but the mistakes, storyline, and Richie!  
**

_Thoughts are in italics._

**_Text messages are in bold and in italics._**

Sitting in his Algebra class, new student Richie Taylor shifted uncomfortably in the plastic seat looking like he was paying attention, with his left hand supporting his face. Really, one earbud to an iPod threaded through the sleeve of his hooded sweatshirt and stuck into his ear, making him pay more attention to Demi Lovato singing Fix a Heart than anything else. Not the teacher. Not the three students sitting in front of him and gossiping like he was some sort of freak, turning to stare at him as if he was the Devil incarnate. Not even the pair of amber eyes focused on him, and a knowing little grin forming on the petite girl's mouth.

* * *

_**"He likes Demi Lovato. And his humming is cute, too. ;)"**_

In Biology, a second pair of amber eyes rolled, this time they were ones belonging to the tall, lanky, bedroom-haired guy he'd run into. He'd taken this class at different school for many years as a vampire, and as a result, learned everything the teacher had to offer. It wasn't like he didn't know when the teacher would call on him. Or what question she was asking, anyway.

_**"Alice, you know that I meant when I said to find out about him."**_

It was true. She was just being coy like she usually did when she knew something she wouldn't let anyone else in the family in on. Except this time, it involved him directly. And the younger male he'd bumped into earlier today. The one he couldn't get a read on in any way, shape, or form. And that fact alone set him on edge, because no one around him was immune to him. No one he knew was immune to him.

Except another supernatural being.

* * *

Alice just shook her head at the text she received from her youngest brother. Edward was moodier than usual, it seemed. Of course, she couldn't really blame him. Finding out someone is immune to your gift is quite frustrating. Knowing nothing about them make it even worse, because then the question of if they were an enemy or a friend comes into play. The thing was, she had a vision of him before he'd even gotten into school, about two weeks ago. No one knew why he'd just suddenly appeared to her, why someone none of them had ever met had been featured in a vision.

And then she had another one. One that she intentionally kept to herself, because it was something that was entirely endearing her to the new male student. And something that would put him into the orbit of the Cullens without a doubt. Chancing another look up at said new student, Richie Taylor his name was, she saw he was still looking disinterested in the Math class. Of course, that was about to change...

* * *

Edward just growled in frustration and ran a hand through his messy bronze hair, seeing Alice read his text message, but not respond to it. He was bothered, to say the least, about this new boy. He'd heard a new student was transferring today, something that was inconsequential to the amber-eyed man. Forks High School had had it's fair share of new students, it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. There was no reason for him to spend any extra energy worrying over a new student.

He'd arrived at school with his family like any other day, nothing out of the ordinary. Except that he felt...off. It was just a feeling, but he couldn't pinpoint it. Or the reason behind it, and as the morning progressed into homeroom, the feeling only got stronger.

And then he ended up running into someone he'd never seen before. Or heard speak before. And that's when it all went straight to hell. Because when he went to read the new student's thoughts, he got nothing but silence.

The feelings in the pit of his stomach only got worse from that moment forward. So much so that he was looking forward to next period: lunch.

Just so he could get a chance to sit down with Alice and try to force any sort of information about the new boy from her. Because, at this rate, he'd go mad.

* * *

Demi Lovato was in the middle of Fire Starter when Richie felt a tap on his shoulder, which brought him crashing back to Earth in a ball of fire. Because he jumped out of his chair like he'd been shocked. Removing the earbud, he turned around, being met with the too-wide grin of a short girl with brown hair framing her face. He'd seen her before, she'd just walked up to him like she'd known him for years, making him tune her out, because he needed to get to class, and he couldn't do that with her hanging on him. And, to his part, she didn't even seem to notice his jumpy behavior. Or just didn't care.

"So, your name's Richie, right?"

He blinked twice, because he didn't think anyone around here actually knew his name...other than 'recluse', 'freak', or some variation of it. "Yeah. And yours is?"

She looked crestfallen for just a moment, over the fact that he couldn't remember her name. "Jessica. Nice to meet you!"

Richie just smiled in return, because he took a moment to look the girl over. Too-wide grin, top smaller than necessary, gossipy, probably only talking to him because he was new...

_Typical gossip queen._

As if he'd said the most interesting thing with just that smile, Jessica leaned forward, pushing out her cleavage with what she assumed was a suggestive smile. Too bad she was too dense to realize the boy in front of her wasn't into girls.

"I like your smile, Richie. Care to tell me where you're from...?" Her voice was quiet, almost like she was really interested in what he had to say, when really, she was interested in something else...

Richie counted to about five (and used every ounce of self-control not to roll his eyes at the question, or suggestive edge to it) before he responded. "Pennsylvania."

He intoned with no interest, but she ate it up like a dog with a bone. "The other side of the country?" She bit her lip and giggled, probably trying to be coy. "How..._exotic_."

_Really? How in the HELL is the other side of the country supposed to be exotic?!_ Though his thoughts were saying something entirely different, Richie's face belied none of his annoyance. "If you think so..."

"Well, _anywhere's_ better than this place." Her obvious distaste with the town she lived in was almost palpable. "I can't _stand_ it here."

Richie's opinion was vastly different, and he was going to voice it. If only to annoy her. "Well, I kind of like it here. It's quiet, close-knit, and maybe when you're accepted, you'll be one of them."

Jessica, gossip queen that she was, realized that he'd taken his own opinion instead of just agreeing with her. And, after quick pause, she reserved a look of disdain for conversations centered around the small town she resided in. "I guess so. But, trust me. After you've been here for awhile, the spark definitely dims out and goes away."

Anything the new boy was going to comment back fell out of his head the moment the bell rang, and he turned around to grab his things, eager to get away from the annoying girl. But, she was already next to his desk, by some force of...who knew what.

"Did you wanna have lunch with me and my friends, Richie?"

That annoyingly cheerful voice, sounding just so eager, so hopeful, just so she could see if he'd spill something 'gossip-worthy' that she could tell the rest of her fellow social butterflies made him immediately want to say no. Tell her to fuck off and leave. Unfortunately, he was far too nice to do such a thing without a proper reason to, so he felt forced to concede. After all, he hardly knew anyone else in this school and couldn't go and sit with anyone else.

"Sure. Sounds wonderful."

He was unaware of a short, amber-eyed woman walking by the two of them on her way out the door, thinking that it would be just that.


	3. Smackdown

_**Chapter 2 - Smackdown.**_

_**Author's Notes: I own nothing but the storyline, mistakes, and Richie.**_

Edward had yet to catch the sight of the famed new boy all day. Other than the quick glimpse he'd gotten when trying to read his thoughts after they'd bumped into each other, he hadn't seen him at all. And it was just as frustrating as the feelings of...whatever it was...in the pit of his stomach. He was the reason for it, it was the only explanation. After all, he was the only new thing going on in this, otherwise, boring town.

"You'll see him soon enough, Edward."

The bronze-haired man turned around at the sudden appearance of his sister, surprised Alice knew exactly what he'd been thinking about. Though, instead of asking just HOW she knew that, he instead focused on something else. "What did you find out?"

She laughed lightly, the sound like wind chimes like it usually was when she was happy. "Not telling!"

Her mind immediately became filled with the lesson from Math class they were learning, and Edward didn't bother to stay in her mind to hear it. After all, he already knew it, as it was.

This day was shaping up to be one of the most annoying and maddening ones he'd experienced in his existence. Ever.

* * *

Richie looked don at the tray of food in front of him in utter boredom. He wasn't entirely sure he could identify what was in it if he were asked, despite the fact that he liked to cook, but he'd most certainly be more than willing to give it a shot. Mainly because it would be a very nice distraction from the inane chatter going on around him. Jessica was babbling with some girl nearby, her hair so pale that it might as well have been white against her over-tanned skin, all the while glancing over at him to see if he was looking in her direction, only succeeding in disappointing herself each and every time. The others around talked about equally uninteresting things, three guys were in the midst of a belching contest, another girl was busily applying makeup, and a final girl, bless her, was trying to get some studying in while listening to an iPod.

Out of all of them, she appeared to be the one he'd get along with. But, he was also far too shy to actually approach her in the hopes of doing so, being complete strangers. Plus, he was also far too polite to take her away from her work. The minutes crawled by, seeming to blend into hours, as Richie stared off into space, trying to block out Jessica's childish remarks, each one getting more and more idiotic as time went by. When it came to the word 'airhead', Richie was almost certain if he looked it up, he'd find a picture of Jessica's face as a reference point.

The feeling of something cold sloshing against the side of his face jolted him back into reality, and he, like everyone else at the table turned to look at what had just happened, as Jessica screeched out loudly, "I am not!"

This time, Richie didn't bother trying to fight the urge to roll his eyes behind his glasses. Jessica's outburst, as well as throwing the rest of her smoothie onto the young man two seats over from him, had gathered most of the other tables' attention. Which, more than likely, is exactly the type of thing she wanted, because she appeared to be basking in the attention. A small smile came to the boy's face as he imagined just what the young man had called her to garner such a reaction. After all...there were _so many_ adjectives that fit...

His smile vanished instantly when she got up, simply leaving her tray behind and telling Tyler (THAT was his name) that he could get it when he was done being an insensitive clod. Her destination? The empty seat right next to his. Wonderful.

And, of course, the scowl on his face an agreement to anything that had just happened to her. "I know. He's _so_ annoying, isn't he?"

Richie just sighed at her, and how clueless she was. "Sure, Jessica."

A few moments of silence passed between the two of them, with Jessica staring at Richie like he was some science experiment, and with him staring at a point on the other side of the cafeteria, not really seeing what was actually there. After all, it was a window.

"Are you looking at _them_?!"

A reply fell from his lips before he really even though it through. "What do you-?"

Before he could finish, there was a flip of long golden hair at the table his eyes had rested near, and his eyes followed the motion, bringing the five people sitting there into focus. "Whoa..."

Because the image of the five people sitting at that table gave Richie a shock for the first time in months, but this time, it was a good kind of shock. Pale skin that was flawless, not a blemish or wrinkle. Harsh amber eyes. And exquisite good looks that made that far more beautiful than anyone he'd ever seen before. But, just what was it that gave them that flawless beauty?

"The Cullens." Once again, before he could ponder his train of thought any longer, Jessica's voice pulled him back to reality. "They get 'wow' and 'whoa' a lot."

Richie could tell she wasn't at all fine with talking about these glorious creatures. So, being the mischievous little gay he was, he continued on with it. "The blonde girl's gorgeous, and so are her shoes. What's her name?"

Jessica crossed her arms over her chest with a derisive snort. "Rosalie Hale. The other blond guy is her brother, Jasper Hale."

Looking over at the girl in question, Richie could have sworn he saw the slightest of smiles appear on her face at both his compliment and at Jessica's obvious disdain. Though, she had yet to look over at them. So, how did he know she was smiling?

_Oh no...not again..._

Luckily...and thankfully...he was one again distracted by his thoughts by Jessica, going on about the others. "The really big guy is Emmett, the short pixie is Alice, and the bronze-haired guy who just rolled out of bed with a lucky lay is Edward." He didn't comment that he noticed she left the biggest, and most verbal, description for Edward.

Who was the guy he ran into when he first came in. The one who stared at him with a wrinkle between his eyebrows like he was some sort of oddity.

And when he didn't respond again, Jessica simply went on to another point. "They're also all _together_, though. _Gross_, right?"

This time, Richie's attention was pulled away from the beautiful family across the room, to raise an eyebrow at a giddy-looking Jessica. Because it seemed that she didn't mind discussing the Cullens if she thought she could get him and his attention away from them.

Fortunately, being gay had come with it's advantages. Including, a respect for how others found love, and with whom. "And that's gross...how?"

The gossip queen smiled, sure she would finally snare the new boy's attention away from them, before switching to a look of small-town condemnation. "They're all adopted siblings. Dr. Cullen and his wife adopted them all from someone."

Once again, Richie's attention was focused on the Cullens. He was almost sure they were all actually listening in on their conversation, because they were tensing up at the mention of their parents. "All of them?"

Jessica sneered over at the Cullens' table. "Yeah. Apparently, their mom Esme, can't have any children of her own." She said it with a simper, even as she turned back to him.

It took a few moments for that sentence to sink in, and when it did, Richie looked back at Jessica in utter disbelief.

"That makes you _smile_?!" The words were out of his mouth before he even realized it, seeing red behind his eyes. "A woman can never have a child of her own and you have the _gall to smile about it_?"

The nearby tables turned to watch the unfolding drama, because Jessica's table was prone to it's outbursts, what with her sitting there. But, someone going off on her was rare in and of itself, for it was usually the other way around, and for the person going off on her to be the new kid no one knew about, well...it was better than cable. Out of the side of his vision, Richie noticed that he even garnered the attention of the entire family he was defending, but he was far too annoyed to even really have that fact sink in.

"Anyone willing to take in one child is a caring, selfless human being. Anyone willing to take in five is a _saint_, especially when others throw theirs out for pointless reasons, like being gay! Which by the way, so you can stop hitting on me, I am! I'm also a virgin, having morals, standards, and wanting my first time, _with a guy_, to be special!" He stood up from his chair, glaring down at the shell-shocked girl gaping up at him. "Something that _you_ would clearly know nothing about, since you've spent the entire time you've spent talking to me dissing someone else or trying to flirt with me when I'm _clearly not interested_. And you know what? There's this amazing thing called _thinking before you speak_. Maybe you should try and start doing that so you don't come off as an uncaring gossip whore who spouts shit about other people and doesn't give a damn of who she hurts? I'd like to tell you to shove your judgement, but it would be worth it. You'd like it too much."

Someone gasped out loud, and others started to roar with laughter, but Richie's sense were deadened to that. He didn't even process the outright unheard of sight of all the Cullens smiling from their table. Breathing shallowly, before he threatened to let his emotions get the better of him then they already had, he turned and left the crowded cafeteria, for a moment feeling like a model on a runway.

* * *

On the other side of the cafeteria, Alice's grin pulled even wider, though it seemed a near-impossible feat, given just how wide it already was.

"I _adore_ him already!"


	4. A Gloriously, Intriguing Monster

**_Chapter 3 - A Gloriously, Intriguing Monster._**

**_Author's Notes: I own nothing but the storyline, mistakes, and Richie._**

_Thoughts are in italics._

The lunch bell finally rang, freeing the bronze-haired vampire from yet another endless-seeming period of discomfort. It wasn't like how he usually felt. Certainly, he was bored, mainly because he already knew everything the teachers had to offer, but he'd never been actively uncomfortable as he was today. And it stemmed from the young human male he'd run into earlier today. The one he couldn't get a read on. And the very one Alice was being deceptively coy about in bestowing information on him. He hurried into the cafeteria, wondering if any of his other siblings had felt so off about this boy than he did. And a rush through the lunch line brought him to his usual table with his family, Alice still giving them all that mysterious smile.

And, because of it, Emmett was the first to speak. "Alright, Alice. What's with all the smiles?"

The smallest vampire simply grinned wider, laughing her tinkling laugh. "You'll see!"

Emmett frowned, much like Edward did, but Alice simply turned her attention out the window, content to say nothing.

Not even bothering to peek into her thoughts, for he would find some other roadblock that would drive him madder than he already was, Edward cast a quick eye over the crowded cafeteria. Though, nothing and no one seemed out of place. Finally losing the vestiges of his patience, he turned to his siblings and asked the question he'd wanted to all day.

"Have any of you felt at all...odd?"

Immediately, Jasper raised a curious eyebrow. "How do you mean?"

He knew he would get asked that question, he knew it. Yet, trying to voice an answer to it became difficult. "Like something's..._off_. Different about today. Something unusual."

This time, Emmett was the one to nod. "Yeah, something feels different. But, it's probably just that new kid, whoever he is."

Edward frowned slightly, feeling that it was a lot more complicated than that. "But, we've had new kids before. And it's never felt quite like this."

Rosalie simply shrugged. "Who cares? It's not like one more human is going to change anything."

* * *

"I am not!"

Edward instinctively rolled his eyes, as did the rest of the members of his family, save for Alice, who was still staring out the window. It was, as usual, Jessica Stanley, doing something to capture attention for herself. Which is the exact reason why no one even bothered to look over at her, instead continuing to move their own conversations forward.

That is, until he picked up a snippet that was undoubtedly about his family.

"Are you looking at them?"

Edward glanced over out of the corner of his eyes, enough that it would look like he was still facing forward to someone so far away. He nearly whipped his head over in shock at who he saw.

_Holy **shit**!_

It was _him_.

An adorable face, framed by dark chocolate hair swept down to close to his left eye, the irises of both the color of milk chocolate, hidden behind a simple pair of brown glasses, though the disinterest in them over Jessica wasn't difficult to read. Edward felt something in his stomach stir slightly, because he was more beautiful than he remembered. And he wasn't even a vampire. He immediately looked away, seeing those brown eyes coming back into focus. After all, he couldn't let this little mystery boy know he was looking.

"The Cullens."

Edward glanced over at Alice, who was still smiling happily, before looking at the rest of his family, taking note that Rosalie had taken that moment to idly flip her hair over her shoulder. Certain this was a small ploy to get the other boy, Richie's, attention on them and that this was what Alice was so excited about, he listened closely to the conversation between the insipid girl and the new boy.

"Whoa..."

That, even that simple little exhalation, give Edward pause. When they first met, it was thrown over his shoulder, something in passing, and it felt odd. This was something directly related to him. To his family. And in that boy's voice there was more of a depth to it that intrigued him more than anyone else ever had. It made him want to find everything out about the boy. From the looks of the rest of his family, they shared a bit of the sentiment, pleased more than usual by the other male's sentiment. Because they could hear it was genuine.

_What is it about this kid?_

Desperately, he wanted to look over, see him directly, but also knew it would be odd. Instead, he chose to listen to his thoughts.

And completely forgot that he couldn't get to hear a word of them, making him growl in frustration.

"Yeah. They get 'wow' and 'whoa' a lot." _Not that **they** deserve it, since they don't do anything like **I** do for it!_

Jessica's thoughts came through as if she spoke them out loud. Why not his? The new boy was becoming more of a mystery by the second.

"The blonde girl's gorgeous, and so are her shoes. What's her name?" _Seriously? **Her?!**_

Edward glanced over, seeing the wide smile on Rosalie's face as she took in Richie's compliment and then looked over briefly, just long enough to see Jessica's obvious distress.

And that's when they all felt it. Slight, only for a few seconds, but powerful, a shift in the air. Like some sort of power had just been unleashed for the briefest of moments. A power no human could have. As one, save for Alice, the vampires tensed up, readying for this new development in the one who had just suddenly appeared to Alice two weeks ago. Cheerful and coy as ever, Alice just continue to look out the window, while four sets of amber eyes focused on the one sitting next to the annoying girl.

"The really big guy is Emmett, the short pixie is Alice, and the bronze-haired guy who just rolled out of bed with a lucky lay is Edward." There was a quiet snort from Alice, just to annoy Edward. Jessica made it no secret of a crush on Edward. Or how much she wanted in his pants.

"I can't get a read on him. No feelings at all." Jasper's voice was so low no human could hear it.

"He's not human." The stark observation came from Rosalie.

No, he wasn't. How ever he was blocking him and Jasper, and...whatever they had all just felt was enough to make that clear. But, if he wasn't human...then what could he be...?

Let's see if you find them all so interesting after this little bombshell, Richie.

At the boy's name in her malicious thoughts, Edward had to suddenly resist the almost uncontrollable urge to look over at him, instead choosing to silently listen to the gossip's "bombshell."

"They're all adopted siblings. Dr. Cullen and his wife adopted them all from someone."

At the mention of their parents, everyone tensed up, even Alice now. Why in the HELL was she talking about their parents?

"All of them?" The young boy didn't seem appalled or disgusted. He just seemed curious.

Edward didn't need to be able to hear her thoughts to know she was positively bursting at the seams, thinking this would be the tidbit to land her Richie's interest. "Yeah. Apparently, their mom Esme, can't have any children of her own." And at that, the amber-eyed, bronze-haired man scowled. _Who does she think she is, to talk about Esme, the stupid bitch?_ The growls each of his siblings emanated matched his mood perfectly, and their combined raging was so loud that Edward almost missed Richie's reply, but when it hit his ears, he turned to face the new boy in utter shock the rest of his family doing the same.

"That makes you _smile_?! A woman can never have a child of her own and you have the _gall to smile about it_?"

That feeling in Edward's stomach jerked again, making it feel like it was on a spin cycle. He briefly looked over at the rest of his family, but looked back when he realized the young boy wasn't finished.

"Anyone willing to take in _one_ child is a caring, selfless human being. Anyone willing to take in _five_ is a _saint_, especially when others throw theirs out for pointless reasons, like being gay! Which by the way, so you can stop hitting on me, I am! I'm also a virgin, having morals, standards, and wanting my first time, _with a guy_, to be special!"

Rosalie let a savage grin come to her face, as she watched the obnoxious girl get torn apart by the young boy. Edward followed suit not a second later, and he didn't have to look to know the rest of his family was following their lead.

"Something that _you_ would clearly know nothing about, since you've spent the entire time you've spent talking to me dissing someone else or trying to flirt with me when I'm _clearly not interested_. And you know what? There's this amazing thing called _thinking before you speak_. Maybe you should try and start doing that so you don't come off as an uncaring gossip whore who spouts shit about other people and doesn't give a damn of who she hurts? I'd like to tell you to shove your judgement, but it would be worth it. You'd like it too much."

Edward unabashedly smirked at the comment as he turned around to face his siblings, while Emmett was one of the ones who started roaring in laughter at the vulgar comment. Jasper simply looked proud of the young boy who had defended his mother whoever even knowing her. And Alice was grinning so wide that he face looked like it was going to split in half.

"I _adore_ him already!"

The vampire couldn't find it in him to disagree with that statement.

* * *

Richie's giant emotional tidal wave slammed over him a few seconds after he left the cafeteria. And in it's wake, he felt like he was drowning as a single thought filtered through his head.

_What the HELL did I just do?_

Leaning against the wall by the doors heavily, he pondered the fact that he just shot himself in the foot when it came to socialization here. No one who liked Jessica was going to bother to talk to him now, which left him with any other groups that might accept him, namely the outcasts. It seemed that even when no one knew of his past, though he'd given a glimpse of it in there during his tirade, Richie wasn't capable of doing the simple act of fitting in.

"Fuck. Fuuuck! _FUCK_!"

Apparently, that was the only word suited to venting his annoyance and frustration. What in the world had possessed him to defend that family? He didn't even know them! It wasn't like they had done something for him! Knowing his luck, they were planning to corner him somewhere and interrogate him on _why_ he'd done something like that in the first place. The only consolation he had was that his outburst had stemmed from Jessica's mother comment, not anything directly related to the Cullens. It had grated on his lack of one, and the fact that she had disowned him for his orientation.

The bell rang, startling him so much that he ended up dropping the lone notebook he had, since it was his first day, he was still short on his load of books for other class. Bending down to pick it up, he nearly fell over when he saw a pair of designer shoes attached to the thin legs of one Alice Cullen, looking like she'd been standing there the whole time as she held out his notebook.

His mouth was gaping, he knew it, yet he still tried to speak through the shock of seeing her next to him as he took the spiral-bound book back. "U-Uh... h-hello?" If he wouldn't have looked like more of an utter nutcase, he would've slapping himself across the face for such articulate conversation. _Really? Seventeen years on the planet and an aspiring English writer and **that's** the best you could come up with?_ To his surprise, the petite brunette in front of him only laughed lightly. Dimly, Richie noted that it sounded like chimes.

"Hi! I'm Alice." She greeted herself with a smile, tilting her head toward the cafeteria. "From lunch."

Richie struggled to think of what to say, panic in a situation like this rising fast. A minute ago he had just defended this girl's mother, even though he'd never spoken or met either of them before. What the heck does one say after something like that?

"Hi, Alice. Um...my name's R-Richie." _Names are always a good place to start. Thank you, self._

At the introduction, the petite girl's smile only stretched wider. "It's nice to meet you, Richie! Did you want to walk to class together? We both have the same one."

Her attitude and offer had been the opposite of Jessica. It had confused him, both offers did, honestly, but this one seemed genuine, not from simply thinking she held the key to his pants. This offer was innocent, kind. And Richie actually wanted to accept it. Which is why he did so, with a smile.

* * *

"I wanted to thank you. For defending Esme like that." Alice told her companion, her tone far more serious than it was a moment ago, in World History, when they were discussing Demi Lovato's most recent album. Well, Richie was doing most of the talking, but Alice had comments of her own. Before that, it was shopping, and the roles were reversed, Alice talking mostly, while Richie was the one who commented when it was necessary. "It was really brave of you. And kind. Even though you don't know any of us at all."

The boy only smiled back at her shyly, a light dusting of pink coating his cheeks, one that he had no idea she wished Edward could see. "Well, I figured since Jessica knows next to nothing, she was probably wrong about that, too." He shrugged, looking away from her entirely, almost bashfully, something she found to be entirely endearing. "Besides, anyone smart would have told her otherwise."

"You'd be surprised with us."

Richie turned back, his eyebrows knitting at the odd comment, but he chose to not question it, as Alice looped their arms together and asked him, "How do you like Forks so far, Richie?"

The young boy mulled it over for a few moments. While his words to Jessica were to simply disagree with her personal opinion, they were the truth. And he told Alice as much, too. "I like it. It's nice. Peaceful. And a welcome change."

A few steps later, Alice slowed down before coming to a stop, her gaze directed down the hallway. Following it, Richie noticed Edward was standing at her line of sight, recognizing him thanks to his height and his bedroom hair. "The first thing people seem to notice is that it's dark. Mysterious. Some might say a bit quiet." While he was still listening to Alice's words, Richie couldn't seem to tear his eyes off of Edward, therefore missing the smile Alice directed at him. She continued after a beat, knowing her words were having the desired effect on the boy. "But, once you get to know the place. You realize that it's actually breathtakingly beautiful."

Edward's brow furrowed slightly, once again adapting the look when he and Richie first met, and he looked up catching the gazes of his sister and the younger boy. Richie looked away immediately, embarrassed for having been caught staring, while Alice simply smiled wider as she held Edward's amber stare with her own. "You just have to know where to look."

The amber-eyed man found himself growling deep in the back of his throat before he could even think to stop it. Alice was being metaphoric, he knew that, because he'd been looking straight at the boy and still couldn't hear his thoughts. He'd been trying since lunch, and it was now last period, and he got nothing from him. Not a sentence, not a phrase, not even a word. He'd be driven to the brink of utter madness if he had to continue to go through this, because was somehow holding him away. He wasn't human, couldn't be. But, being unable to hear his thoughts made any sort of explanation as to what he could be impossible.

Alice raised a simple brow at him, and he entered her mine with no hesitation. If you're really so interested in him, and the look on your face as well as your actions say you are...then try talking to him. Get to know a person like the rest of us have to get to know someone.

Edward frowned at the idea, clearly uncomfortable with it. He hadn't had to deal with human interaction in longer than he cared to remember, and he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to.

But, then again, for the little brown-eyed bespectacled mystery standing by his sister, he was thinking about seriously giving it a shot.


	5. The House on the Outskirts

_**Chapter 4 - The House on the Outskirts.**_

_**Author's Notes: I own nothing but the storyline, mistakes, and Richie. The song used in this chapter is Come Little Children by Eurtan (also known as katethegreat19), though with one lyrical fix.**_

_Thoughts and song lyrics are in italics._

Walking home from school, he reflected on his first day of school in Forks.

All in all, today was considered a very good day, at least in Richie's book. He got to take down a vicious gossip-worthy skank who wanted to get in his pants, and he...hopefully...made a friend in at least one of Cullens. Especially because in all that they talked about, Alice seemed genuinely interested in what he had to say, aside from Jessica, who just seemed to be partially interested until she could stick her own views into it and turn the conversation around to herself. Alice and he traded banter back and forth, and it was difficult to be his usual shy self around her and her infectious personality.

Though, he wasn't ready to reveal _all_ parts about himself.

His gayness had been revealed as a result of his emotions getting control of him after Jessica ended up shooting off her big mouth. And no one seemed to be the wiser that he was living by himself, on his own, thanks to his parents disowning him for his sexual orientation. All things considered, his house wasn't all that big, being that his parents gave him the choice of continuing to live with them and going to get deprogrammed and forcibly turned straight or living in his homosexuality and receiving 5,000 dollars, the key to a house on the other side of the country, and never speaking to them again.

Three guesses as to which he chose, since he wasn't in Pennsylvania anymore.

He wasn't ready to tell Alice, Edward, or even much of anyone else in town the real reason why he was here. All they really knew was that he was from Pennsylvania. He was seventeen, and that was really it, though his orientation was likely to spread around the town like wildfire, since he doubted some of Jessica's friends couldn't keep a secret to save their lives. And that was before he ended up ripping her to shreds in front of the entire cafeteria for badmouthing the Cullens' mother.

With a sigh, he felt it start to rain, holding up his left hand to ascertain so. And he sighed just once more when he felt a light misting hitting his upturned palm. _I don't have the patience for this..._ In seconds, he clenched said upturned palm, and when he flattened it out, his palm was dry, as was the rest of him, like no rain was falling. Even though he could clearly see it still falling, even starting to fall heavier now that he took note of it.

He sighed lightly, content with the little bit of magic he'd done. Nothing big or huge, he most certainly wasn't strong enough for that, still only practicing the craft. He could heat things up, cool things over, move objects slightly, block his mind from outside forces, and he once made a truth serum back in Pennsylvania, before his parents found out he'd rather wake up to a man than a woman every day for the rest of his life.

Interesting how he lived with a family where being a wizard was completely and utterly normal, yet loving someone of the same sex is what got him thrown out.

He could still remember the day, at the age of fourteen, when he'd accidentally heated up the television remote so much that it actually melted, because his parents (more specifically, his father after too many drinks) had it on so loud the night before that he couldn't get any sleep. He ended up getting annoyed, cranky from lack of sleep, and wished the remote would disappear so they'd have to live with the volume that was set. Next thing he know, the toxic scent of melted plastic permeated the room. He'd never been so scared as he was the day he had to tell them what had happened. What could he say? _"Hey, mom and dad, I melted the remote with my mind because I'm cranky from lack of sleep?"_ _That_ would've gone over well. Instead, he stumbled and tripped his way through the start of an explanation before finally just leading them to the hunk of useless plastic. And, instead of being annoyed or any of the reactions he'd feared, they actually asked him if _he_ did it. Got annoyed with them, though about getting back at them in some way, and then that happened.

The relief he felt when he asked them how they knew exactly what happened was nearly palpable. Though the disbelief that followed was also nearly palpable, until they did something that royally pissed him off and he destroyed a houseplant in the corner by knocking it over. And then apologized profusely, even though they both said they were the ones that did it. Revealed that his two friends, both a year older than him, had come into their own powers before him, and then magical hijinks ensued between friends, as one would expect.

And then he came out four months ago, and it all went to hell. No one to teach him about magic, no one to mess around with to test their powers, a learn as he goes process, and even then, he was scared to try anything on his own, especially because he heard dark magic was not only powerful, it was also addictive, like a drug of the magical community. It was to be avoided at all cost, because dark witches and wizards wouldn't hesitate to kill to get the next fix they craved. If the magics he got a hold of didn't kill him first, because his body wouldn't be able to handle the stress of the spells.

Walking inside his small one-floor house, he sighed heavily as he took a seat on the couch, letting his magics finally stop around his mind. Some people just chalked it up to inattentiveness when he asked them to repeat themselves, or if he zoned out, but his parents had warned him that dark witches and wizards could appear to be normal people standing right next to him, and could usually not only sense the presence of another, but also influence them to do things they normally wouldn't. Thus, they taught him a defensive spell that protected him from such things from magical beings.

Of course, the best laid plans and all that...

After all, he had no idea that he had a family of supernatural, not magical, beings attending the same high school as him. Ones whose strength wavered depending on how much blood they consumed. And ones who were focusing on him, some more powerfully than others, whether they knew it consciously or not...

* * *

After a dinner that consisted of a sauteed chicken breast and baked potato wedges, and then his homework, Richie jumped into a shower and slid into bed, wanting to be well-rested and energized tomorrow. After all, he was allowed to be excited to go to school. No one here knew of his past, no one here knew his secret, and no one here could tell him to get out just because he preferred men over women because he was born that way. And, on top of that, he had at least one friend, and a hopefully true friend, in Alice.

Of course, _those_ were the exact reasons it was a quarter to one in the morning and he was still awake.

He sighed again, staring up at the blurry form of his ceiling overhead. He was blind as a bat without his glasses on, and the cover of darkness made it an even worse predicament should anything try anything sneaky. After all, he might have been a practicing wizard, but he still was only seventeen years old. There was only so much he could do to try and defend himself.

There was always something his mother would do, ever since he was a child, if he could never fall asleep. However, he'd never done it on his own. Sure, he'd hummed it a few times, especially in the beginning of the day at school today, but he'd never gone so far to sing it out loud to himself in an effort to get himself to fall asleep. There was just something...odd...about it. Plus, he vowed to himself that he would _only_ ever share something like that with someone he truly and deeply cared about.

Still...desperate times called for desperate measure and all that...

Once again, he fought to get comfortable, snuggling under the covers with a quiet sigh. He just hoped something like this worked, otherwise, he'd end up falling asleep in class tomorrow, and that wasn't really something he needed to happen. heaving a deep sigh, He closed his eyes...and began to hum quietly to himself.

_Come, little children_  
_I'll take thee away_  
_Into a land_  
_of enchantment_

Though he never spoke the words, he could hear them plain as day, his mother's voice coming out with every word, having had it memorized from just how many times she'd sung this as a lullaby to him as a child.

_Come, little children_  
_The time's come to play_  
_Here in my garden_  
_Of magic_

It was weird, almost as if with the word 'magic', it was as if he was calmed, letting out a deep sigh that managed to take away any restlessness he may have had. Though he kept humming, a sigh mixing in the with words as he did so, though it did nothing to diminish the effect on the young wizard boy.

_Follow, sweet children_  
_I'll show thee the way_  
_Through all the pain and_  
_The sorrows_

His mother's voice began to mix with another voice. A deeper voice, most definitely a male voice, though one that was smooth, definitely not his father's voice, for his was far too rough and deep.

_Weep not, poor children_  
_For life is this way_  
_Murdering beauty and_  
_Passions_

The voices were still quiet, still calming, and still with a mindfulness and reverence that spoke of whom they were serenading to sleep, for the object of their lulling voices was not entirely out of the conscious realm, and one incorrect move or high pitch could bring them crashing right back into awareness.

_Hush now, dear children_  
_It must be this way_  
_Too weary of life and_  
_Deceptions_

Now, with each passing verse, the female voice got quieter and quieter, being overtaken by the voice of the male. Though, there was still the same level of trust between the singer and the one being sung to sleep, if not more than the previous relationship. This time, the one singing would never willingly stop.

_Rest now, my children_  
_For soon we'll away_  
_into the calm and_  
_The quiet_

Though, it didn't make sense, as the deeper sleep crept up, the clearer the voice became, until it drowned out the female entirely, leaving the soft tones of only the male, cool to the touch, yet warm at the same time. But, how? How was such a thing possible?

_Come, little children_  
_I'll take thee away, into a land_  
_Of enchantment_

Though, as Richie slipped into unconsciousness and his mind became hazy, another's became clear. With a vision of the future and what was to come. he was still in his bed, still being gently serenaded into the realm of the unconscious, but this time, he wasn't alone. He was being held against the bare marble chest of her youngest brother, bundled under the blankets as Edward lovingly sung him to sleep, a reverence etched on the vampire's face and in his amber eyes for the boy in his arms, unlike one she had ever seen before for another person.

_Come, little children_  
_The time's come to play_  
_Here in my garden_  
_Of shadows_

As she came out of her trance-like state, Alice simply grinned widely to herself, thankful beyond anything Edward was out hunting right now. Because, her suspicions were right. Completely and utterly right. And she needed to keep it to herself, at least for now.

At least until Edward found out the truth about the other boy.


	6. Never Again

_**Chapter 5 - Never Again**_

_**Author's Notes: I own nothing but the storyline, mistakes, and Richie.**_

The conversation hadn't been skipped over last night. Once they were all home from hunting, Carlisle and Esme both asked them how their school day was, they said that it was fine, business as usual, until a fight nearly broke out between a new boy and Jessica Stanley. Alice was the one to bring it up, Emmett was the one who told them Richie about laying into her, while Jasper proudly commented that it was brave for the young male to do that, especially for a family that he didn't know and didn't know him. Edward remained silent through the entire exchange, but he had a look of such pride for the human male that he may as well have told the entire story.

Granted, none of them mentioned exactly what else had happened, unsure if it was just a fluke or a result of not feeding as much as they would normally. Today there would be no such accidents. Edward had fed far more than he'd ever done, so much that he had what he imagined was the human sensation of bloating in his stomach. Even the others (save for Alice) had fed more than usual, thinking that a reason they weren't able to get any sort of reading off of Richie was that they weren't as well fed.

Little did they know that they wouldn't need the extra precaution today.

* * *

It all started with dirty looks in the parking lot after he arrived early, his walk to school being quicker than he thought it's be this morning. Granted, he'd seen a few of them, but he hadn't thought anything of it. After all, he'd dealt with the exact same looks from other people at his old school after the rumors of his sexual preference had begun to spread. Compound it with the fact that he'd strung Jessica up by her toes yesterday and then was seen with one of the Cullens afterward probably made him a bit more of a target than one would normally be for dirty looks. And he didn't care. So long as he had Alice and the Cullens, things felt strangely...right. Like they'd be okay. Like he would be okay.

Taking a seat at an empty picnic table, he immediately buried his head in a book he'd brought to read while also plugging his earbuds into his ears, letting the melodic sounds of Lake Erie Rainfall come into his mind, tuning out the rest of the students milling by. After all, if anyone had been sitting there, they probably would have gotten up and left. He had a feeling that most of the people around here knew who Jessica was, and with her being a much of a gossip as she was, what he had done to her had undoubtedly spread around the entire student body since yesterday. Several versions of it, if he'd had to guess, as well.

So engrossed was he in the book that he didn't notice the students milling about, or a shiny silver Volvo make its way into the lot. Or that once the Volvo arrived, the area became suspiciously empty and quiet. If he had, he might have been able to prepare himself for what was to come better.

The book was ripped away from his hands with such a quickness that he was left staring at the top of the table for a second before it finally sunk in that it was no longer in his hands. Turning around to confront whoever had taken it, the young wizard had now found himself staring at four members of the Forks High football team. Four boys who were much taller, much stronger, and much more merciless than he was. And, according the the gleam in the four sets of eyes trained solely on him, he'd committed an atrocity against them.

And, now it was time to pay his dues.

Before he could even think to react, much less make any sort of attempt at stalling them until some possible form of help arrived, he found a punch barrel into the left side of his face and pitch him to the right, a second one from coming just as quickly from the same direction and landing on his temple, sending him back the way he came. A strong hand came to grip his right shoulder, pinning him to the wood of the table as he heard the unmistakable sound of cracking knuckles.

"This one's for Jess, queer."

Before he had time to react, he felt a hand on each of his ankles, opening his legs, and then the fist of the boy who had spoken slam into his center, his most vulnerable spot pried open for their merciless enjoyment. Almost as quick as they bound him, they let him go, the hand on his shoulder shoving him for good measure and making him, almost mercifully, hit his head on the table as he tumbled off the seat and into the grass.

* * *

Standing before Richie's locker, Alice bounced her foot nervously, her amber eyes glowing with just as much of a nervousness. Something wasn't right. She had seen Richie in the courtyard as they had pulled up, they all had, and they made their way into school. She had intended to meet up with him here as a pleasant surprise for the morning, but he had yet to show up. He didn't seem like the type to skip class without a legitimate reason, so why wasn't he here?

A shuddering breath passed her lips, more of a gasp, as her eyes glazed over, her mind drifting a bit.

She ended up in the courtyard. At the foot of a picnic table, where the sounds of piano music drifted from earbuds that had come out of ears during the obvious struggle. Richie lay in the grass, obviously unconscious, a bruise forming on the left side of his face, bottom lip split and leaving a trail of blood. An equally dark bruise was forming on his right temple, made all the more clear by the fact that his glasses were laying next to him on the ground.

Once again, the petite vampire gasped as she came back into reality, her mind processing the images she had just seen around someone she was quickly coming to care about. She took off toward the entrance at a human pace, screaming as loud as her mind could.

**_Edward!_**

* * *

The youngest of the vampire family immediately heard Alice's mental anguish and, pinpointing her thoughts in an instant, appeared next to her as if he had been there the entire time. Confused as much as he was, the rest of the family appeared seconds later.

"What? What is it, Alice?"

Alice's amber eyes were wide with concern as she tugged on his hand. "Richie." She tugged forcefully, leaving him no choice but to follow her toward the main entrance, thankfully not far at all from Richie's locker.

Rosalie turned toward her mate and her brother. "What about him? What does she need Edward for so badly concerning him?"

Both boys shrugged, unsure of the answer, but chose to follow the other two outside.

* * *

Edward followed his sister, thoroughly confused, as they walked outside. Alice was pulling at him with an urgency and a desperation he hadn't seen in a very long time. The urgency already had him on edge, but it was nothing compared to when they rounded a building and saw a cluster of picnic tables. With an unconscious Richie laying next to one.

At the sight, something snapped in the bronze-haired, amber-eyed man. Before he had even realized what he was doing, he was kneeling next to the prone human boy, holding his unconscious form against his chest as he inspected the bruises forming on the delicate skin.

Someone had hurt Richie.

The pad of his thumb gently brushed the unconscious boy's lip, wiping away the crimson line with a shudder. They were all outside, surrounded by fresh air and fully sated, yet the venom rose in the back of his throat as if he were half hungered and in an enclosed room as big as a supply closet. Behind him, Jasper shuddered the slightest bit, struggling with his own past and his own inner demons. But, the way this young boy's blood called to him, set his nerves ablaze, was nowhere near the same thing as what it did to Jasper.

_It shouldn't be like this for me. He shouldn't have this effect on me._

Edward turned his head to speak to his family, though they could easily have heard him regardless. "We need to take him home. _Now!_"

Rosalie's jaw dropped at the statement from her youngest brother. Yes, she did feel bad for the boy, especially since this probably came as a direct result of him defending her family, but this was just outright insane. "Like _hell_ he needs to-"

Edward spun to face her, still holding Richie close to him, his voice low, challenging, and a growl as he cut her off mid-protest. "I'm taking him home. No matter what the _fuck_ you say. He needs Carlisle."

His out-of-character viciousness, as well as the swearing, stunned her into silence for once. Emmett spoke up. "Bro, there are other doctors-"

The look of pure fury Edward shot him shut him up just as quickly as it did Rosalie. Where the courtyard had become the scene of torture of an innocent boy, it now became the battleground for a silent match of wills between an entire family. At least until Alice spoke up.

"He's meant to come with us." Her eyes went to her sister, who regarded her warily. "He'll need us just as much as we'll need him soon."

The blonde vampire mulled it over in her mind. This was not good at all. And it also couldn't end well for any of them. Secrets were going to come out about the family, leaving them all unsafe, especially because they had no way of knowing if this little pet of Edward's wouldn't shoot his mouth off at the first opportunity. But, there was no way for her to prevent what was going to happen at this point. he was coming home with them, and at her own defeat, she huffed out a sigh. "Fine, bring your pity project home. But-" She punctuated the word with a jab of an elegantly tipped fingernail. "But, it's not going to be _my_ fault when this explodes in our faces." And with that, she turned and stalked away, heading for the silver Volvo across the other side the parking lot.

Edward simply ignored her as she walked off, instead focusing on the prone, vulnerable boy in his arms. His breathing was regular now, and the cut on his lip had stopped bleeding. The bruises weren't too bad, either. In all truth and reality, he probably didn't need Carlisle, but the amber-eyed man wasn't going to leave anything up to any sort of chance.

_No one_ would hurt his Richie again.


	7. The Truth

_**Chapter 6 - The Truth**_

_**Author's Notes: I own nothing but the storyline, mistakes, and Richie.**_

_Thoughts are in italics._

The ride home was awkward, uncomfortable in it's silence and it's tenseness. Not one of the vampires said a word, Edward cradling Richie's unconscious form to his chest tightly, almost afraid if he let him go, more harm would befall him. Jasper drove quickly, having already informed Carlisle they were coming home, and that they needed his medical expertise. The only plus side to the entire ride was Alice, smiling once more, giving Edward hope and the implication that things would turn out alright where the human boy was concerned.

As soon as the car came to a halt outside the palatial home, Rosalie was outside and to the door. She burst inside, the others close behind her, and then turned to the slightly surprise figures of Esme and a still-home Carlisle, who pushed a surgery back until the matter could be resolved. "Edward's brought home a pet. Hope it's not a problem."

Edward hissed at the utter disdain in her voice for the unconscious boy in his arms, as he carried him through the door of the house. "He's not a _pet._" He practically growled out, as he stalked to the plush leather couch, gently setting the unresponsive form of Richie onto it. "He ended up getting into a fight, and he's a little bit scraped up as a result."

Carlisle raised an eyebrow, intrigued at his youngest son's odd behavior. "So, you brought him here?"

Rosalie pushed her blonde hair back forcefully. "My exact point! There are other people, other _doctors,_ that can help him just as well!"

Edward rounded on his older sister. "He's _different_, Rosalie! Even you can feel that, I know you can! I don't think he's human!"

"All the more reason to avoid him! Humans themselves are dangerous enough, and we don't ave any idea of what _he_ is, if he's not human!" Frustration was evident in the female vampire's tone and body language as she continued to argue with her youngest brother.

In the blink of an eye, Edward stood in front of Rosalie, his amber eyes flashing brilliantly as he came to the unconscious boy's defense. "I don't _care_ what he is."

Carlisle looked to his other children in utter confusion. Fights like this were rare enough in the household, but fights like this with Edward were nearly nonexistent. How was it that one boy, one _human_ boy no less, had changed the family dynamic so drastically? His answer came in the form of shrugs, for they were just as confused as he was.

"Have you gone completely **_insane_**?!" Rosalie's anger and frustration over the situation mounted, and her words failed her. Unable to voice anything else through her frustration, she took off for the stairs at top speed, the door to her bedroom slamming a split second later. Silence was thick after the slam, one that no one wanted to break, unsure of what to say.

However, a need for clarity overrode discomfort, and the head vampire spoke up. "I assume there is more to the story than this?" At the question, Edward's gaze dropped to the floor, and Jasper's brow furrowed at the feelings of uncertainty coming off of his youngest brother.

Seeing he wasn't going to answer, Alice spoke up, stepping closer to the unconscious boy as she did so. "This is the one we told you about last night. Richie Taylor, the student from Pennsylvania." Emmett and Jasper exchanged a glance, and Carlisle and Esme looked at the petite brunette in confusion. This time, it was their mother who spoke up, walking over to the prone boy, a look of motherly concern passing over her face as she inspected his wounds, lightly touching here and there upon the stricken male's face.

"How did he end up in this fight you mentioned earlier?" She inquired of all of them.

Edward bristled at the mention of the fight, but it was Alice who answered. "We...don't know. I was waiting for him by his locker after we saw him reading in the courtyard, but he never came. I began to get nervous, and then I had a vision of him lying by a picnic table."

"More than likely Jessica was the one who orchestrated it." Edward growled out ferociously. "After Richie humiliated her yesterday, I wouldn't put it past her to try something as revenge. Round up a few of her little football cronies to do her dirty work." Esme looked up at the utterly furious tone of her youngest son, before smiling sadly at the young boy laying on the couch. This form of attention and interest wasn't normal.

"The wounds are only superficial. He should be easy to assist, Carlisle." Her husband nodded as she stood up to face her children, taking her place to assess the young boy's damage himself. "Aside from defending us to that..._girl_...have any of you actually met and talked to him?"

At the question Edward shifted uncomfortably, but Alice perked up yet again. "Yes! I've talked to him all day since yesterday!" Her face darkened just a touch, because today was obviously different.

"Was this fight over what was said yesterday in the cafeteria?" Esme asked the question with a bit of a crestfallen look. The fact that this young human was ambushed and injured so, just for defending her and her family, she felt a certain pang of guilt.

Jasper crossed his arms over his chest at the question. "Must've been. I can't imagine what else it could stem from."

"Unless it was his sexual orientation." Edward muttered darkly, amber eyes flashing once again.

Carlisle stood, idly taking note of his son's mood swings, going from timid when the subject was about Richie himself, then going to protective when it came up to his attack. He brought him here instead of anywhere else. All the signs pointed to one thing... "He should be fine. There are no internal or life threatening injuries. No concussion or the like. His gaze turned to Alice. "He should wake up soon."

"About twenty minutes, give or take." She replied, her smile widening a bit.

Emmett frowned. "I'd better go talk to Rose." He turned and headed up the stairs, as Alice turned to Edward.

"Jasper and I need to go and have a chat, as well." Her mate turned to look at her, quickly getting the hint in her eyes and following her with no hesitation. Esme mentioned something about looking for recipes since a human was in the house, and she wasn't letting him leave hungry.

Edward found himself grateful for his family's capacity for consideration. And he cleared his throat quietly, gathering his father's attention instantly. "Carlisle?"

"Yes, Edward?"

The bronze-haired man considered his words for a moment, rolling them over in his head before he spoke, letting out a quiet sigh before he did so. "There are things about Richie...things that happen when I'm near him..." he shook his head, a tiny crease forming between his eyebrows, much like the one that appeared whenever he was trying to figure something...**_anything_**...about the human boy out. "I just don't understand..."

His father just nodded softly, thinking that he already knew where this was going. And praying that his suspicions were correct. "Could you give me an example?"

His son gave it some consideration. "Just the thought of seeing him today made me...excited. Happy. Nervous, even. Even yesterday, after meeting him for the first time, I spent all day thinking about him." He looked at his father pleadingly. "You know I'm not like that. Not normally, at least." His amber eyes went out the window. "Then his voice. The first time it was directed at me, about me and the family, not just thrown over his shoulder...it did things to me no one else's has ever done. There was just more to it than anyone else's." He again established eye contact with his father. "Do you understand this? Does it make any sense to you?"

Carlisle smiled, his own amber eyes understanding. "More than you would expect, Edward." He turned to fully face his son, clasping his hands together in front of him as he did so. "Tell me, Edward. How do you feel when you look at Richie? When you're simply near him? Across a crowded hallway? In the cafeteria? Even today, this morning and right now?

The bronze-haired amber-eyed man glanced over at the unconscious boy, letting the emotions he was quickly associating with him rise to the surface. "I...I feel like I _need_ to protect him from everything. Everything and everyone in the world that could hurt him, even today, I wanted to know just who had done this to him." He shook his head, running a hand through his bronze hair in hopes of getting his frustration out a bit. "But, I'm also energized. More than I've ever been. So much that I feel like there's _nowhere else_ to put it, but also no way to get it all out. Unless I was trying to hurt him myself, which I _don't_ want to do!"

His father was quiet for a moment before actually responding. "There are other ways to let that energy out on him, you know." His voice was low, thoughtful, as if he was trying to tread carefully. "_Gentler_ ways..."

His youngest son's brow furrowed once more, as he struggled to understand just what his father meant. _Gentler ways? What the **hell** was that supposed to-_ His amber eyes went wide as realization ran through his thoughts swifter than he would've thrown the culprits off the young human boy.

_Oh. My. **God. No.**_

It all made sense. Why he wanted to get to know him. Learn _everything_ about him. That protective instinct, even over a couple of idiot children who thought it would be fun to make him their toy. Already his senses were tunneling, on, around, and about the prone boy on the couch.

"No." The word slipped out without him even realizing it, his eyes were wide, stark realization on his face, and Carlisle knew he had finally understood, not that he had any doubt he wouldn't. Edward was very astute. But, this reaction was far from the expected reaction.

"What is it?"

"I-I can't! Carlisle, I can't. I'm too strong. Too fast. I-I'll kill him!" The father saw the downright fear and trepidation in his youngest son's eyes and stood, trying to calm him down, but his ranting couldn't be tamed. "Just today, it took every ounce of self control I had not to turn him then and there over a cut on his lip. His blood..._his body_...calls to me like no one ever has done before."

* * *

Rosalie came down the stairs, Emmett after her, though she looked none happier than she was before. "What are you all doing?" She growled out, far too low for her distressed brother to pick up right now. "I swear, all of you are acting like he's some house guest when he's not. He might not be human, he could be dangerous, and he's-"

"He's Edward's mate." Esme, holding a cookbook, appeared behind her silently, her voice calm but firm and cutting off her daughter's ranting.

The blonde's words suddenly halted, Jasper and Alice following their mother as Emmett stood on the bottom step. "What?"

Jasper's voice came out a bit harsher than normal, turning to her. "His mate. Or did it slip your mind that he's never found his yet?"

For her part, she seemed hurt by the implication in the Southern vampire's drawl. "I- Of course not! But, **_him_**? You're certain of this?"

Alice nodded brightly, smiling just the same as she remembered her vision from the night before. Her brother and the human male, happy and content. "Yes, certain. They'll be happy together, both of them." She frowned slightly. "What, like there's something wrong with him?"

"No, but he's not a vampire. He's not even _human_. Or might not be..." The blonde sighed, rolling her amber eyes. "Only _Edward_. Only _he_ would find a mate that's as complicated as this."

Jasper smirked at the implications in his sister's voice. "Seems fitting, if you ask me. After all, he's not exactly a simple man, himself."

Alice simply smiled between the four of them. "He'll be fine. They'll both be. And it's about time Edward had some complication in his life, as well as someone to protect. After today, he'll more than likely be doing a very good job of it."


	8. Awakened

_**Chapter 7 - Awakened**_

_**Author's Notes: I own nothing but the storyline, the mistakes, and Richie.**_

Carlisle was aware of his children and his wife discussing what Edward had finally come to realize about the young male laying on the couch, but he didn't pay too much attention to what was said, too focused on calming his youngest son down from finding his mate after nearly one hundred years. And that his mate was different than most, strictly because he wasn't a vampire like the rest of them. "Edward, look at me." Seeing his youngest son's amber eyes focus on him after he said the words, he continued on, his voice gentle, but still firm, much like his wife's would be in this situation. "You would _never_ do anything to hurt him. You know that, I know you do on some level."

As if they were called, Alice and Jasper quickly reentered the room, in a blur. Jasper, sensing his role in this, sent calming waves toward his brother, taking the edge off of his worries and fears. And sensing the change in the air, Carlisle spoke to his daughter, "Alice? Can you see any instance of Edward harming Richie? Hurting him in any way?"

The soft smile she sent the bronze-haired vampire was soft, reassuring. "No, I don't." She took his hand, squeezing gently. "Just the opposite, actually. You're going to help him in more ways than you'll ever know."

Edward's amber eyes fell to the polished floor at his feet. To think, just about twenty-four hours before, his world had been so simple. Boring. Just as it had been for as long as he could remember.

And then Richie stumbled into his life. Quite literally.

He looked back up, his eyes connecting with his father and two siblings. "This is still dangerous."

His father simply took a step back, smoothing out his shirt as he did so. "And you'll be careful, like always. I'd expect nothing less from you."

Alice bounced happily, clinging to her brother's arm. "It'll be fine, Edward, you'll see that." Her smile widened. "Better than fine, even."

"However, we'll have to shelve this conversation for a later time." Jasper said to them quietly, as Emmett, Rosalie, and Esme entered the room, the sounds of an almost imperceptive groan coming to their ears. "Our guest is coming around."

* * *

Richie's milk chocolate eyes fluttered open, only to slam back shut again as the light he took in was far too much for them to accustom to all at once. Welcoming the darkness again, he took a quick moment to take stock of his dreams, which had been odd, certainly for him. Full of amber-gold, things he kept reaching for but were too far away to actually get a grip on. Shadowy figures standing in the woods around his small home, almost as if they were protectors, one impossibly small, the other taller, with a head of messy hair. Whenever he got close enough, they would vanish in the blink of an eye, as if they were never there in the first place.

Once again, his eyes opened, managing to stay open long enough to register the same amber color from his dreams was right in front of him, though having no discernible shape to it at all. With a small whimper, he shut his eyes again, only to feel something slide on his face. On instinct, he reached up, his hand landing in something...soft. Without even thinking of it, his eyes flew open, this time the picture before him was of crystal clarity.

It took him only a second to realize Edward Cullen was staring down at him in concern...and that what his hand was currently in was the other male's messy hair, which he quickly reclaimed with utter embarrassment. "Shit. I-I'm...oh god, I'm sorry..."

Somehow, as his hand left his bronze hair, Edward's amber eyes flashed brighter for a second or two. Something that should have set alarm bells off in the wizard's mind, but didn't, inexperienced in the regards of the supernatural.

"That's alright. How are you feeling, Richie?" That voice. Dear **_god_**, that voice. Like comforting silk, cool ice, and smooth velvet all rolled into one package. And he wanted it.

And, at that moment, his brain seemed to catch up with his body, because it finally struck him that he was on a couch he'd never once been on, in a room he'd never once been in, surrounded by a group of people he barely knew or had never met before. Edward Cullen was staring down at him, with an intensity that was almost frightening.

So, then why wasn't he scared? "F-Fine...um, Edward?"

The vampire smiled, content as he realized his newfound mate remembered his name. "Yes?"

"If you don't mind me asking, where the heck am I?"

All persons gathered laughed lightly, save for the blonde in the very back...Rosalie, if he remembered correctly. He also took note that there were two adults he had no recollection of in the room, as well. These were the Cullens' parents, more than likely.

From behind her brother, Alice beamed brightly, a megawatt smile. "You're in our house, Richie! We brought you here after we...found you." She nodded toward Carlisle quickly, probably trying not to make him think of the attack he'd just suffered. "Our dad's a doctor, so we had him look you over."

"Found me?" On instinct, Richie's hand went to his glasses to shove them up on his nose, his fingers brushing against the bruise on his temple slightly, but painfully from the small sound he left out. As such, he missed the flash in Edward's amber eyes as the full extent of the attack came back to his mate, the quiet sounds of pain from the human making him want to find the guilty parties. "Ow."

"You should be fine, Richie. There's no real damage." Carlisle spoke up, his words and expression kind.

Feeling uncomfortable under the stares of so many people, Richie pushed himself into a proper sitting position on the lush leather couch, turning his attention to the doctor of the family. "Er...thank you, Dr. Cullen, for checking me out." He then turned his attention to the siblings. "And thank you...all of you...for making sure I was alright. Though, I admit, you didn't have to go through the trouble just for someone like me. I'm sure I would have been fine when I woke up."

The others smiled brightly once again, Rosalie excluded again, as per usual. However, Edward continued to stare at him intently, despite the smile on his face. "Someone like you?" The vampire quoted him. "Who stood and defended a family he didn't know just because it was the right thing to do. Why would we ignore that very same person in need after they'd something like that for us?"

Blinking dimly at the other male's sudden outburst, Richie rubbed his arms before moving to stand off the couch, suddenly very uncomfortable because he had no idea what to say in the silence that followed Edward's question. "You r-raise a good point, but uh...I-I better-"

Edward had stood with him, and now made the smallest move closer to him. "Do you have to?" His amber eyes had softened a bit with the question, but they were no less intense, this time in wanting the wizard to stay. Something was most definitely odd about the teenager asking him these questions.

But still, somehow Richie couldn't find it in him to refuse the silent offer to stay. "Well, n-no, I don't have to. I-I just don't want to be an inconvenience to you more than I already have been..."

Out of nowhere, the female adult, Esme, pushed herself forward and gripped Richie by the arm. "Oh, you're no inconvenience at all, dear. It's a pleasure to have a guest over, especially one as kind as you. I'm in the middle of looking up some recipes, you must be starved after going through all that."

Richie was suddenly reminded of his own mother, except this woman was much like he had guessed in the cafeteria yesterday. Kind, nurturing, warm, and caring to a greater degree than his own mother, making him miss this kind of a presence in his life terribly. Only adding to this notion was that before he could even think about possibly dissuading her from going through any more trouble for him, she had pushed him into a chair and was already whirling to grab at least two cookbooks.

And he had no sooner been settled into the chair than the one across from him had been slid out, Edward sitting across from him.

* * *

"So, after you pick one of these, why don't you tell us about yourself, dear?"

That single statement, coming from Esme as she held out two cookbooks, one opened to completely garnished chicken Parmesan and the other to spicy pad Thai, came innocently enough. It was clear he'd been a topic of conversation in the Cullen household, not that was surprising. As fast as the news of him and Jessica in the cafeteria had spread around the school, it came as no surprise that it was brought up here. Of course the parent's he'd blindly defended would have heard about him.

After choosing the Italian in favor of the Southeast Asian in terms of cuisine, he found Esme and Edward looking at him curiously, as if they were waiting for them to begin.

"Well?" And the single word question from Edward made it clear they were.

No one had really taken much of an interest in him like this, actually asking him about himself rather than just making their own assumptions based off of how he acted. Or how they wanted him to act. And now that someone was doing just that, he had absolutely _no idea_ as to how to react. Surely, his life and his interests weren't all that important to this incredibly kind woman and her son.

"Oh, stop treating him like something on a display, you two." Alice's voice filtered through the kitchen as she walked in, making Esme turn to her with a jovial grin, while Edward simply shot her a smile, but barely a glance, his amber eyes focused on the human across from him. While Esme may have been making conversation, it was clear that Edward was the one with the interest.

So, he jumped all in. His sexual orientation, which Esme actually didn't know about about, though had no problem with it. She even mysteriously said that she'd just had a newfound experience with it, but it didn't bother her, so long as the boys were happy in the end. His music interests ranging from Demi Lovato, which Alice and Edward already knew, to Jessica Lowndes, piano music, rock, classic, to pretty much everything in between.

"Lake Erie Rainfall to Give Your Heart a Break?" Edward asked him, music clearly a common thread and interest between them, though Richie's varying tastes was an opportunity for harmless poking from the amber-eyed man.

The human boy shrugged in response to the vampire's question. "I like piano music just because I was in chorus at my old school. Ever since I was twelve." Esme chose that moment to set down a plate of saucy grilled chicken, complete with a small side of pasta, in front of him, effectively taking his eyes off her son for a moment. As such, his missed the way his amber eyes glowed at the thought of the boy in front of him singing. _His voice is probably beautiful..._

"Also, it helps relax me. There nights I can't sleep...or couldn't sleep...and music always helped me to do that. There are times when my mother would sing me to sleep, or I've sung myself to sleep, as odd as that sounds..." Richie's voice brought him out of his thoughts, if only for a moment. Because it went from the boy singing in front of him to him holding the boy, gently singing into his ear, a smile of bliss on his face even in slumber.

Until it hit him that it was now far too vivid to be just him daydreaming.

_I saw it last night. That's how I know it'll be alright, and that you'll never hurt him. You've never had that look on your face for anyone else. Except for now. Except for him._

Edward wished he could say that he remembered his sister and mother were there in the same room as him, but he'd be lying if he did. Because, his thoughts focused solely on the human male across from him as Alice picked the conversation up. "You never told me you were in chorus."

A light dusting of pink slid across the pale human's cheeks, making Edward want to see it more. In varying shades, if possible. "The subject never came up." His voice was quiet, almost embarrassed, and utterly adorable.

_What **isn't** adorable about him?_


	9. Claim What's Yours

_**Chapter 8 - Claim What's Yours**_

_**Author's Notes: I own nothing, save for the storyline, mistakes, and Richie.**_

Once his meal was finished, and after chatting back and forth with Alice the entire time, with Edward and Esme chiming in when they had something to say, Richie felt his time to leave was around. He stood, and then said as much, the reaction from Edward belying his disappointment.

"You don't have to leave."

The words were rushed, a longing in them speaking that the other male really didn't want him to leave. And the reaction was odd to the human boy. Ever since his disowning and subsequent arrival at Forks, everyone seemed to be in a genuine hurry for him to leave. Or made him feel so uncomfortable that he took his leave on his own terms and no one cared when he did. He'd grown accustomed to those reactions, and these new ones, though welcome, were something he wasn't used to. "I'd really better go. School seems to be out of the question, and I figure I'll use the day off to catch up on things around the house."

"Then, at least let me drive you home. You shouldn't walk that distance, plus, you don't know where you are." Edward was grasping at straws, groping in the dark for something to hold onto. He was scared of hurting the human boy, and that alone implied that he should stay away and keep his distance, but the fact Richie was his mate complicated things. The carnal, animalistic side of the vampire, long since dormant since there was no one around to bring that physical side of him out, had awakened and wanted him to keep Richie around, talk with him until there was literally _nothing_ left to say. Nothing left to find out about each other through words and expression. And then learn about him in other, much more intimate, ways.

Having absolutely no way to deny that, Richie was forced to agree, though he did so with reluctance, even after Alice offered to join them to find out where he lived. Minutes later, he was saying his goodbyes and extending his thanks once again, as well as a promise to an insistent and widely smiling Esme to return once again.

And, then came the car ride.

* * *

Though Edward drove fast - so fast that it was frightening, actually - the drive still seemed to take quite a while. The trio talked about little things, like favorite classes and teachers for this school year as well as Edward's playful teasing about introducing Richie to real music, it was as if nothing was amiss between them. As if they were three ordinary friends simply enjoying a morning together. No one would know that Richie was getting increasingly nervous as the ride went on.

There was _something_, some sort of energy at play between him and Edward, and it was causing his nerves to hit him more than usual. He stuttered a bit more, tripped over words a bit more, no matter how short his sentences became, and it felt like something was flipping his stomach, turning and flipping it more and more. This wasn't normal. And what was more, given his inexperience with romantic feelings, especially towards the same gender, they were dangerous.

"Is it...does it feel warm in here to anyone else?" The human boy inquired, playing with the collar of his shirt as he did so. The air in the car was thick and stifling. And also very..._warm_, now that he realized it.

"I hadn't noticed anything." Alice's voice spoke up from the back seat, with her ever-usual cheeriness, as Edward gave him an odd look, but nonetheless obliged his mate by turning the air on higher. The both of them watched as Richie slid the air ducts his way, toward his flushed face, hoping to obviously try and cool himself off. Exchanging a look, a silent comment passed between them, the boy unaware.

_His blush is quite adorable, isn't it?_

Edward smirked slightly in agreement, though it wouldn't be much of a lie for him to say that _everything_ this little human boy did was starting to become adorable. His blush, the way he fell over his words upon getting too excited or nervous, and the vision Alice had gotten of him slumbering in his arms. He wanted it to become real. He wanted it all to become real, because he finally understood what passed between his family when they look at one another. He'd finally found it himself.

Following Richie's directions, they came to a stop on the outskirts of Forks, about a fifteen minute walk away from the school, as the boy had told them, through a bit of a stutter. And they pulled up to a house not even five minutes later, one that was very small, very quaint, and given his personality, very appropriate for the boy to reside in.

As Edward threw the car into park, Alice piped up from the backseat. "We'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Yes, you will." Richie answered her, without much of a shaky smile, or the stutter that had been in his words before. Though, when he turned back to Edward, he found those amber eyes watching his every move...and nearly felt a shudder crawl it's way up his spine when he did. _What. The. **Hell?!**_

Because just the amber-eyed man opening his mouth to speak, eyes on him as he talked to his sister, sent shivers up and down his spine, when just an hour ago, they did nothing of the sort. But, being in his car, these simple acts were enough to make Richie's stomach churn in...fear? Anticipation? But, of _what_?

"I guess this is goodbye." The simple sentence made Edward's velvet voice drop a bit, like he was upset to see him go.

"Until tomorrow, Edward." Richie said in a silent agreement, as he reached for the door handle and pulled. ...only for nothing to happen.

_You have **got** to be kidding me!_ Feeling like one of the siblings was coming after him with a jar of spiders or a tickle spell, Richie tried again and again, only to get the same result each time, his annoyed glare becoming more and more prominent.

Edward laughed lightly at the adorably annoyed look on his mate's face, before reaching over to grip the handle himself and pulling. "It sticks sometimes. Here, why don't you let me?"

And three things happened at once.

The motion of the vampire reaching across his lap sent his scent toward the human from the vents blowing at him, making an intoxicating blend he couldn't even begin to describe or even begin to pinpoint as the smells assaulted his senses. And the scent sent shock waves through Richie that shook him to his core, making his body spasm just a bit in the most pleasant of ways, and Edward's amber eyes caught the movement easily, going to his boy's face for any sort of indication anything was amiss. Amber and chocolate eyes met, both sets considerably darker than remembered, and before they could even realize what either one was about to do, Richie's lips were a near inch away from Edward's, his body acting almost on autopilot, going towards the seductive, intoxicating scent and the owner of it.

At least until fresh, rain-soaked air permeated the car, breaking both human and vampire out of the trance, making Edward lean back a bit, so he was more on the divider than so dangerously close to Richie. And the blush Edward so desperately wanted to see came to his mate's face, as his eyes tore away from his and he looked anywhere, literally anywhere, but at his face.

"I-I'll see you, t-tomorrow, then?" The question was meant for both him and Alice, it was really, but his chocolate eyes went to the amber-eyed man he had just _nearly kissed_ as he asked it.

"Yes, you will." Edward, for his part, showed no physical nerves or anything of the like of what had just occurred, even though his lips nearly _burned_ where the human's hot breath had fanned against them, venom bubbling in the back of his throat as the monster inside him urged him to surge forward, claim the human's lips, take what was supposed to be _his_.

"We'll be waiting here at 7:20!" Alice also spoke up, her voice holding even more of her cheerful personality than normal, and Richie, unaware of the real reason, simply chalked it up to seeing him again. This time, well and whole.

This time Richie turned to her, flustered beyond anything he'd felt before, but not flustered enough to not to argue them going out of their way for him. "You don't have to-"

"We _want_ to." Edward's voice cut off any protestation he was about to make, and, out of fear that he might make the same mistake of _nearly kissing him_ again, he found he was powerless to resist.

"Okay. Then, tomorrow it is, then."

"Perfect!" Alice trilled happily from the backseat, as Edward watched his mate intently with a small half-smile and half-smirk, leaning against the divider. Richie, for his part, smiled weakly, before stepping out into the cool, damp air.

"I'll see you both tomorrow." He'd repeated himself , but his mind was on autopilot, desperately wanting to be inside his own house, to replay what the _hell_ had just happened to nearly make him kiss the bronze-haired amber-eyed man smirking at him lightly from across the divider.

"Yes, you will." Edward's soft voice made it sound like a combination of both a promise, as well as a threat. And, given his current flustered state, he wasn't sure if he was excited or afraid.

All he could do was smile at them both and give a nod, before shutting the car door and and walking to the front door of his small home. Edward didn't pull away until after he was safely tucked inside.

* * *

Edward drove down the street in a daze, one hand on the wheel and the other perched over his burning lips where Richie's hovered and had so nearly connected with his.

_Richie was about to kiss me._

Behind him, he caught the sight of his sister in the backseat, grinning madly at the dreamy, almost dazed, expression on his face. "Well?"

"I'm sure you saw it all from your vantage point." Edward replied just as teasingly.

"And what do you plan to do about this? Since he obviously feels as drawn to you as you do to him." Alice asked him, though she was biting her lips to keep from smiling any wider as Edward glanced in the rearview mirror back at her.

One thing was abundantly, almost painfully, clear in his mind. How badly he had wanted to close the distance between them, but held off, knowing that he would have frightened the poor boy more than he already was. Despite that, the thought was clear, prevalent, and needed to be voiced.

"I won't stop until he's mine."


	10. Thoughts and Opinions

_**Chapter 9 - Thoughts and Opinions**_

_**Author's Notes: I own nothing but the storyline, the mistakes, and Richie.**_

Edward ended up speeding home faster than normal, eager to get back to the majority and entirety of his family. In an odd move for the vampire, he'd actually ended up avoiding the thoughts of his family on the subject of him and Richie while the human boy was there; as it was, most of his thoughts had been focused on the teenager while he was there to really be bothered over their thoughts on the matter, anyway. Now that Richie was no longer present, he wanted to hear their thoughts on him, though straight from their mouths instead of in their heads.

He came to a stop before the Cullen mansion, and he and Alice were both at the entrance before their car doors were even fully shut. They both came to a halt in the living room, where the family was already gathered, waiting for their return. At the silence, Edward took a deep, steadying breath, unable to keep the nervous, yet excited, smile off his face.

"So...what do you think of him?"

* * *

Richie sank onto his couch in his living room, the scent of a freshly-struck match used to light a cinnamon-vanilla candle still hanging in the air. He had absolutely no idea as to what to think anymore. What to feel.

He wasn't always the most confident individual in the world, that much was for certain, and he hadn't had much in himself in the past few months. For getting thrown out by his parents for telling them an important part about himself and not getting unconditional love in return would let anyone's self-worth take a hit. But, he was getting better and back to his old ways, standing up for what he believed was right, regardless of the consequences.

And then Edward Cullen had to walk into his life and completely, utterly upend it more than it already was.

Nothing made any sort of sense anymore. His body was betraying him at the most inopportune moments, shivering and stumbling at the worst possible times, and he found himself stuttering, blushing, and becoming nervous a lot easier than what he was actually accustomed or used to. Words just tumbled out of his mouth without him thinking them through, or when he finally had an intelligent response to say, his throat would close, the words blocked up a lump. The effect was driving him completely insane, for there was nothing he could really do about it. The Cullen family were the first people in recent memory to show him any form of outward compassion since his arrival in Forks, and he'd go so far as to consider them friends of his. Alice (and if he any form of say in the matter, definitely Edward) already was, after all. He couldn't, and most certainly _wouldn't_, turn away from them, just because he was dealing with issues that he had no experience in dealing with.

* * *

At her youngest son's question, Esme was the first to break, entirely unable to hold her response in, even though her already-beaming smile spoke volumes about the boy in question. "Oh, Edward, he's wonderful! Very polite and a kind and compassionate individual."

Carlisle smiled, putting an arm around his wife's shoulders. "I'm very happy for you, son."

Emmett smirked widely. "He seems cool enough. Little on the shy side, though." He nudged Alice with his elbow, sending her a wink. "You and I are gonna have to work on that." His sister beamed at him before turning back to Edward, her opinion of Richie long since been obvious and she had no reason to speak up.

As such, the bronze-haired vampire turned to the final two silent ones- Jasper and Rosalie. The male of the blonds was the first one to speak. "I can't get anything from him, but it's obvious from the way he acts around you that this is...right." He smiled lightly. "How it's supposed to be. And if it's how it's supposed to be, then you have my blessing. I'm happy for you."

Edward smiled at him in return, but then steeled himself, for Rosalie was up next. And the blonde met his stare with an equal amount of silence. Though, finally, she let out the softest of sighs. "Are you sure - and I mean _absolutely sure_ \- that this is it? The real thing? That he's your mate?"

There was only a moment of hesitation before Edward nodded resolutely. His reply, so low and almost vulnerable, was another change not to be taken lightly. "He is, Rose. I know it."

She stared only a few seconds more before a small smile cracked her flawless mask. "...then I'm happy for you, Edward."

At that, her youngest brother let out a small laugh of relief and, before she could even react, had swept her up into a brief, though tight. hug. Her eyes widened at the unusual display of affection from her reserved brother, as did the eyes of everyone else in the room.

Proof that not only Richie was changing Edward, but that it was clearly already happening.

When he pulled away, Rosalie poked him in the chest with a perfect fingernail, still with a small smile on her face. "But, if he hurts you, I'm tearing him into pieces so small that no one will ever be able to find him whole again."

In response, Edward simply grinned, because only from Rosalie's mouth could that sound like something meant to be endearing.

* * *

Richie swiped his glasses off his face, scrubbing at his brown eyes, hoping that would relieve some of the tension he was feeling, and the headache he was undoubtedly going to have if he kept up his train of thought. Because when he took a step back, no matter how brief, all of his bodily responses and actions pointed to one thing. And that was that he liked Edward. A very attractive and interesting guy.

That was more than likely straighter than a board. And, Richie's feelings, the way he felt and the way he simply reacted to the mysterious amber-eyed man. He could tell that his feelings were more than that, there was no way they _couldn't_ be.

If only he knew what provoked this sort of reaction in him. Maybe a spell? A love spell of some sort, cast on him to make him fall all over the tall, lanky male, in the hopes of... In hopes of _what_? Who would cast such a thing on him? His friends back home would do something like that, but only for short bursts of time, not days on end and let him develop the feelings to this intensity, for it would only hurt him and cause a rift in their friendship when the spell wore off. The only other feasible reason was that someone was onto him, but then it would raise a whole host of other questions. Who was it? Again, for what purpose would they do this to him? How did they know he was a wizard? After all, he'd been incredibly, almost rigidly, careful about using any form of magic.

This situation was growing more and more complicated with every passing second.

Which is why he focused on something completely and utterly unrelated to Edward and his family. His own situation and living in Forks.

Once he was thrown out by his parents, they'd given him five thousand dollars, and the key to a small one-bedroom house they owned across the country if he never so much as showed his face again. He'd been living comfortably, but the money was almost half gone, and he wasn't the type of person to just sit and wait for the money to dry up before he did something about it. He'd resigned himself to looking for a job when he first got here, and had been putting it off for as long as he could stand it. That time had come, and he was going to plaster his name all over town until he got a callback.

* * *

Lying in bed that night, doing some light reading by candlelight, Richie mused on the earlier events of the day. A callback actually came a lot quicker than he thought it would've. In fact, the entire thing came together a lot quicker than he thought it would, since he actually had a job. Granted, it was a part time position working as a cashier at a gas station on the edge of town, but it was better than nothing. Maybe something outside of school would focus his attentions away from a certain bedroom-haired male at school. At least in a more than friendly way.

One could hope, right?

In truth, even while applying for the jobs, he found himself thinking of the lanky, amber-eyed man. Wondering if he'd like the position he was in? Would he come and visit? How would he react when he told him? But, then again, those were things a friend would worry about with another friend. Or, at least that's what the boy was trying to force himself into thinking. And, all things considered, it was actually going well. At least he thought so. He hadn't daydreamed about Edward's lips since going out. Hadn't thought about what they'd feel like pressed against his own. Hadn't thought of him shirtless. Or what those amber eyes looked like first thing in the morning. Or if his hair looked just as messy when he rolled out of bed than it did at any other point in the day.

Just friends. Right.

* * *

_"Indecisiveness is like living on a roller coaster. You go side to side, up and down, even upside down and right side up, but always you end up right back where you started from. The question is whether you choose to step off the roller coaster or choose to go for yet another ride."_

Esme's words continued to echo through Edward's mind as he sat in a small, but comfortable, chair in the dimly lit room, amber eyes taking in every little thing about the space. The bed sat in the center of the room, large enough to house two people, but was currently only housing one form, huddled under the blankets. A television stand stood directly to his right, with a DVD player sitting on top of it. Next to the television sat a cardboard box, opened and housing a mixture of CDs and DVDs. He'd have to thumb through that next time he was here. A small lamp sat on a dresser directly across from him, as did a small collection of various ChapSticks and body sprays. An alarm sat on the nightstand next to the bed, blinking the time 3:42AM back at him as the candle continue to burn, letting off a scent of cinnamon and vanilla that the vampire would imagine as pleasing to some humans. A book lay next to the bed, half open, clearly having slipped out of the slumbering boy's hand. The vampire had gently removed his glasses without waking him soon after he had arrived, setting them on the dresser before admiring the young human's face in slumber. It struck him just how astoundingly young the male looked, compared to how he was during the day, as if a giant weight had been lifted off his shoulders when he went to sleep at night.

It made Edward want to know just what that weight was. And, if he had his way, he'd find out what it was. He's wasn't going to be indecisive anymore.

He vowed that he'd be laying in that bed with him, holding his adorable boy in his arms, and making Alice's vision come true.


	11. This Is a Mistake

_**Chapter 10 - This Is a Mistake**_

_**Author's Notes: I own nothing but the storyline, mistakes, Richie, and two new characters I'm about to introduce.**_

The following morning started innocently enough. Get up at 6:45AM, shower, grab a quick breakfast, brush his teeth, grab his things for school, and then head out the door. Though the air was gloomy, as it usually was in Forks, Richie found the day to be more uplifting than most of the others he'd endured. He was starting work tonight, he was going to go into school with his head held high and show no outward form of nervousness about what occurred yesterday, and he had official friends in Alice and Edward.

Who were waiting outside his small house in Edward's silver Volvo, bringing him up short. The shock must have been on his face, because he saw Edward smirk a bit from the driver's seat, Alice waving from the back. "What are you two-?"

"We said we would drive you." Edward reminded him gently, though his small smirk was still present, his amber eyes glowing just a bit at seeing the male again. "Did you forget? Or were you going to be stubborn and walk, anyway?" His amber eyes followed the boy's every move from when he started walking, around the front of his car, to the passenger seat, where he opened the door and slid in. And offered the vampire no verbal response, other than a light dusting of pink to his pale skin.

Alice remained silent from the back seat, not resolving to save her brother's mate just yet. Especially since she knew Edward knew the answer as well as she did, after all, she'd had a vision of the human boy leaving his home and walking to school about a half hour after he had gotten back from watching over Richie as he slept. She knew her brother wanted his mate to admit himself.

Though, his silence already did such a thing, Edward wasn't going to stop toying with him until he actually said it. And, because he also knew he'd see that _lovely_ little blush of his the more he pressed. "Well?"

"Well, what?" Richie replied in return, trying to act as if he were being defiant, but Edward could see right through that. He was just stalling. His smirk grew a bit, just because he found it so endearingly charming that the human boy would be stubborn like that, putting more strain on himself than accepting a ride from him and sister, all because they would be going out of their way to help him. it was a gesture that was so..._thoughtful_. And also somewhat maddening.

"You never answered me." The male vampire remarked with a chuckle.

He didn't need to read his mate's mind to know that he had him beat. To know that the way he looked around the car, grasping for _something_ to completely change the subject, to looking in the mirror to Alice for any possible help, to which she just grinned cheerfully and offered no help, to finally just sighing and seeing those chocolate eyes meet his. "Yes Edward, I was going to walk. Happy now?"

That small petulant look on his mate's face was utterly adorable, like a child getting caught with their hand in the cookie jar. And he had to resist every impulse to lean across the divider and kiss it away, feel that frown turn into that smile he adored so against his cool lips. Instead, he just turned his amused smirk into a playful smile, and remarked, "Why yes. I am happy, now that you've answered me."

That worked just as well, because the corners of the boy's mouth turned upward, as his eyes rolled skyward behind his glasses. "Oh, well, good. My good deed is done for the day, now I can go back to bed and sleep."

"Did you not sleep well?" Alice asked him in concern from the backseat. She knew Edward had arrived at Richie's sometime after two in the morning last night, finding his mate asleep upon when he'd arrived, with a book in his hand and his glasses askew on his face. However, what had gone on before that, as well as the time the boy had actually fallen asleep, she didn't know. And now both vampires were looking at the male with concern.

"Not really." Richie replied honestly, yawning a bit and missing Edward's hands clench on the steering wheel when he did so.

_Don't think about him doing that first thing in the morning._

Edward simply ignored Alice's thought, because she was already too late to stop it from happening. Already the male vampire's mind was plagued with thoughts of the human next to him waking up securely in his arms with a yawn. How it would feel to run his hand through the dark hair on the top of his head as he slept. Watching those warm chocolate eyes take in the light of the world for the first time in the morning. And then take in him, laying next to him. Would those eyes melt upon landing on him? Would he smile and greet him with words or a kiss? Was he as stubborn to wake up in the morning as when he was during the day?

He didn't know the answers to any of those questions. But, he most certainly wanted to find out.

"Why didn't you sleep well?" Edward asked of his mate, his own expression concerned, though far more than Alice's.

As the human boy let off a sigh, the amber-eyed man could almost see the gears turning in his head, before he just gave up. "I...uh...got a job..."

That response wasn't anything the vampire siblings were expecting, and Edward wanted to question _why_ he would keep something like that from them. However, Alice beat him to it.. "How is that a bad thing? Jobs are a good thing, especially for someone our age! It shows responsibility!" The age comment made Edward smirk. _If only he knew how old we were._

"I...didn't want to tell you in case it didn't work out..." That comment wiped the smirk off of Edward's face immediately,

Because his mate's voice was so small, so full of insecurity and doubt that they would judge him for that small fact, if he would get fired or be unable to handle it. That they would look at him any differently for such a thing that he wanted to kiss his mate's lips until they were bruised, and then kiss his cheeks, eyes, nose, and anywhere else so he could take away the pain. And he spoke up, desperately trying to lift Richie's spirits, _never_ wanting to hear that kind of doubt in the boy's voice again. Especially about himself.

"Listen to me." Richie's head turned to look at him, his eyes slightly wide behind his glasses, because there was a quality to his voice he'd never heard before, he was sure of it. "Richie, I don't care if you fail at this, or if you happen to be their best employee. The fact that you're trying is good enough for me, and if it would come down to it, Alice or I would be more than willing to help you."

"Esme too!" Alice chirped from the backseat.

The addition only seemed to fuel Edward's fire, and he'd never been more thankful for traffic at the stop sign that lead to school, because he turned to his mate, his amber eyes looking straight into the chocolate ones looking back at him. "Don't be afraid to tell us anything about yourself. We're not here to judge, only to help." His right hand left the steering wheel, gently gripping the left of his mate's, fingers entwining. "Especially me."

Richie couldn't look away from the two pools of amber staring back at him. It was like he was hypnotized, simply taken over by Edward's stare. "O-O...Okay..."

The vampire smiled at the agreement, as well as the boy's stutter coming out to play. "Alright." To punctuate his statement, he gave the human's left hand a quick and reassuring squeeze, before moving to take his hand back.

And nearly grinning so hard his face split when he felt Richie resist the movement.

"When does your shift start? And when do you get out?" The question was directed at Richie, but Edward could both see and feel Alice's eyes on their entwined hands.

"Uh...I get out at...eleven o' clock." Richie replied honestly, though he spared her only a half a glance, gaze still locked with her smiling brother's.

"I'll be waiting, then." The amber-eyed man promised him, squeezing his human's hand gently, as he pulled into the stream of traffic, waiting to get into the parking lot of Forks High.

* * *

"Okay, and then you press this button for cash, this button for credit, and then the drawer will either open automatically or just hit cash if it's a cash payment..."

He really wanted to tell her to _shut it_. He'd heard it since he'd walked in, and he was getting a pretty good idea on what to do with it, what with customers that came in and went to his register. However, his coworker Jillian was increasingly getting on his nerves, because she felt the need to explain it _every single time_ someone came in and he made a mistake. It was only his _first day_ for crap's sake! He wasn't going to get it all in one day. Or night, as the case was now. And right now, he was actively hoping for a customer. Any customer would do. _Seriously. Just to shut her up._

And, almost like his thoughts had made it happen, the door opened. Revealing a woman, definitely older than him by at least seven years, wearing heels that clicked against the tile floor, expensive dress pants that looked like they cost more than he'd see working here for months, a sweater that only cost just as much as her pants, and a scarf that looked so soft it'd disintegrate if exposed to enough water. Her hair framed her face beautifully, just a few shades lighter than Edward's and with more of a strawberry tint to it than a bronze. Though, her skin was equally as pale as the other male's, and her eyes weren't amber, but green. Though it was never a color of green he'd even seen before, it was still just as intriguing as Edward's eye color.

"Hi! Can we help you with something?" Jillian's bright voice brought him out of staring at this woman...whoever she was.

However, her eyes were only for the male in front of her, acting as if Jillian hadn't spoken. "What coffee do you recommend?" Her voice was low, almost seductive in it's timbre.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, because..._hello, he was gay and crushing on the mysterious hot guy in school_...Richie spoke up. "Um, french vanilla. Or the white chocolate caramel."

Offering him a smile on what seemed to be an ordinarily icy face, she wandered off to the coffee machine, going about doing what she needed to do. Next to him, Jillian looked ready for her head to explode, even more so as she continued to be ignored by this intriguing customer.

"And, thirty-five on pump one." She added on, setting the largest coffee cup on the counter, along with a fifty dollar bill.

Mindlessly, almost numb, Richie entered the information, going to give this woman her change. "Here you-"

A cool hand on his wrist stopped him. "Keep it. For doing a good job of ringing me, Amelia Chase, up." Letting his wrist go, she pulled back with a smile. "I'll see you again, little boy. You can count on that." With a smile, and a mock-toast of her coffee, she was off with the clicking of those heels, leaving a gobsmacked Jillian and Richie behind.

_Wait until Edward hears about this!_

* * *

_"I won't stop until he's mine."_

Those were the words Edward had said to Alice just a single day ago. When he vowed that he wouldn't stop pursuing the human boy until he had worn him down. But, there was just one problem with that.

Richie was being stubborn and having none of that.

First, it was this morning, trying to leave when he clearly knew he and Alice would be there to pick him up from his home. And, it was now, as he sped from the already-dark gas station off towards the human's home. As endearing as he was, if he continued to pull this stuff, Edward would be losing his patience. He already slightly was, thanks to being unable to hear his mate's thoughts to ascertain where he was.

It was the oddest feeling for the amber-eyed man. He knew on some level that he should give Richie some time and space, but he couldn't bring himself to _want_ to. What he wanted was his mate to know just how he felt about him. To stop avoiding him because he wasn't used to the kindness him and his family were showing. And there was only one way to get the human boy to listen to him. Sit him down and have his say.

Now. If only Edward could find his evasive human.

* * *

Richie groaned lowly, wanting to walk to one of the nearest trees and bang his head repeatedly against it.

_What the hell have I gotten myself into?_

It was obvious that his attempts to isolate himself from Edward for a day, or even just a short time, hadn't gone well, at all. In fact, the tall, amber-eyed male was on his mind the entire time he was at work, even the woman who had tipped him generously had reminded him of him. And now, trying to avoid the lanky male giving him a ride was only going to serve him more grief, because he should have realized Edward was going to come looking for him.

_Or he'll be parked in front of your house._

With another moan, the boy shoved the heels of his hands into his eyes, relishing that he saw stars when he did so, because that helped to clear his head and give himself something to focus on other than the bedroom-haired male that had been occupying his thoughts ever since school had ended. He had wished he'd grabbed a Dr. Pepper from work before he left, because it might very well calm his nerves now. Because he had the strange sense that he should be looking over his shoulder, His magic was even roiling inside him, almost making him feel jumpy and edgy. But, _why_? Why would his magic be jumpy about Edward?

"Get in."

He nearly fell flat on his face when he looked over, and saw Edward and his silver Volvo matching the pace of his walk almost perfectly. _Because he was right next to you, you idiot._ Staring at the lanky male like a slack jawed moron, he couldn't form any sort of words, especially when he saw the vampire's expression. And, because of it, he did exactly as he was told.

* * *

Edward sped toward his house, making what would be a five minute drive in less than half. It seemed that no sooner had Richie gotten into his car, then he had gotten out, but this time, the amber-eyed man wasn't so willing to let his mate out of his sight. At least not without a serious talking to.

"Richie, may I come in?" The question wasn't something to be ignored. His mate needed to be talked to. And, one way or another, he'd get that done tonight.


	12. Going Somewhere?

_**Chapter 11 - Going Somewhere?**_

_**Author's Notes: I own nothing, save for the storyline, mistakes, and Richie.**_

_God, I love the way he says my name._ That was literally the first thought that came into the human's head when he heard Edward speak up from behind him. And then the euphoria dropped away just as quickly, as he registered the amber-eyed man's question. Every synapse was firing, telling him that this was a bad idea, not to let him in, because nothing good could have come of it. He wanted to talk, and it was clear about what.

Yet, it seemed none of that mattered, because when he looked into those amber orbs, it all flew out of his head. Every protestation, every negative thought. And he responded, with a simple nod and a quiet, "Yes."

The both of them entered the small, but cozy home, Edward closing the door behind them softly, though for the human male, it seemed as loud as a gunshot. And he stepped toward the kitchen, pausing in the doorway to look at the other male. "Would you like something?"

The vampire shook his head in response to his mate's question. "No, thank you for the offer, though."

Richie just nodded his head quietly in return, before going to the kitchen and pulling out a bottle of Dr. Pepper from the refrigerator. He turned to grab a glass, only to nearly collide with the other male, who had already procured a glass for him._ Funny...I didn't even hear him follow me in, or open the cabinet..._

The silence was awkward, becoming stifling, because things were never this quiet between the two of them. There was always some form of chatter going on, about the smallest and almost insignificant of topics. Favorite foods, musical debates over what Edward classified as 'real' and what wasn't, or something Alice may have brought up the night before but didn't get a chance to mention, they could talk about anything and everything and never seem to get bored. Now, though, anyone watching them would think they were forced to spend time together instead of willingly choosing to do so.

And Edward was the first to break the silence, clearing his throat to get his mate's attention. "You seem distressed about something, Richie. Would it be inappropriate to inquire?"

The human, for his part, could only shake his head, unable to actually reply due to his mouth being full of soda. Though, once he swallowed, he was able to actually speak. "No, I'm fine. Really, just working out some personal issues, that's all."

Edward could tell that was a lie, even without listening to one word of his mate's thoughts. He wasn't making eye contact, instead choosing to look at almost everything but him, and he raised a perfectly sculpted brow in curiosity, interested in how Richie would try and get out of this. "What kind of personal stuff?"

Richie gaped, unable to reply for a few short seconds as he felt color rising to his cheeks at Edward simply raising an eyebrow. Oh god, tell me he doesn't know... "Just...p-personal things. That's all." The white lie was weak, his voice cracked, and he stuttered.

_I have you now._ A look of irritation, almost bordering on anger, now painted Edward's face as he crossed his arms over his chest, staring down at the fidgety form of his mate. "It's not personal stuff. You're hiding from something."

The words were spoken with such assurance, as well as force, that Richie couldn't help but look up at Edward's amber eyes, the tone catching him entirely off guard. Since when was he so sure of himself...especially when it came to something he was feeling. Coughing out a surprised laugh, Richie tried to rein the conversation back under his control. "What would I have to hide away from, Edward? It's not school, nor is it associating with anyone in town."

The amber-eyed man simply huffed out a breath, his frown deepening a bit at his human mate's stubbornness, his annoyance making his eyes glow a bit in the dim lighting. "Then, it's not some_thing_ you're hiding from. It's some_one_."

_Fuck it all. I can't get out of that one without blatantly lying._ Though, he chose to go on the defensive, letting an annoyed scowl come to his face that was almost common whenever he thought about his parents now. "Well, then, who would it be, Edward? Since you seem to know so much about my thoughts and the actions behind them."

Something danced in Edward's amber eyes, as the smallest of smile appeared on the other male's face. It was a look that was almost hungry. Predatory.

For him.

"Well, there are only a few people it could be, truly. After all, you don't know very many people here." His arms loosened a bit, but didn't uncross, as he leaned against the counter behind him, appearing deceptively relaxed. "It can't be Jessica. And I doubt it's her band of defenders." A smirk tugged at one corner of the amber-eyed man's lips. "You'll more than likely take care of them yourself when the chance arises." The wizard didn't even have the time to think about how Edward knew, as the larger male had just taken a step away from the counter, walking over toward the door a bit, but still facing him. The realization caused something to swirl in his stomach.

Because Edward's voice was changing in pitch. To one Richie had never heard before. One that was low, frighteningly and also enticingly, so personal and almost primal that it caused Richie to swallow and take a step backward.

"That really only leaves my family." Edward added, the tip of an index finger dragging along the countertop, just before he turned to full face the human boy. "You don't consider Alice or Jasper threatening at all, so it can't be either one of them." His other index finger came to his chin, tapping it as if he were truly thinking this entire situation over and not just toying with the human before him. "Emmett's strong, but there's no reason to fear him." Edward's amber eyes sparkled a bit now, as if with glee that he was dismantling his mate's entire reasoning for being stubborn and dragging it all out.

_Which he is._ The realization came to Richie just as quickly, as he realized Edward wasn't just leisurely strolling around the kitchen. He had positioned himself between his mate and the door, thereby ensuring there was no way he was going to get out of this without talking to him.

"Rosalie is dismissive, but I can tell that you aren't the type to care about that sort of thing at all." Edward's voice was light, despite the smirk on his face, giving away his amusement at toying with his human mate.

Richie just squeezed his fists tightly, feeling his magic crackle a bit at his fingertips, as his emotions started to get the best of him. All encompassing insecurity enveloped him, as he felt every shred of control he had slip away at the cool, pale hands of this near perfect stranger that wasn't human. He wasn't used to this - any of this. And he was asking himself why it was that he now found himself in a situation like this.

_Oh. Yeah. Because you're a **fucking idiot and invited him inside!**_

Though there was space between the two of them, he felt as if the room was closing in, making the space seem smaller and smaller with every step Edward took toward him. "So, that really just leaves _me_." The amber-eyed man's smirk only grew, and it just wasn't _fair_. How he was standing there, looking far too attractive in a grey t-shirt that hugged him in all the right places and asset-showing black pants, in Richie's tiny home and saying these sorts of confusing, mind boggling things to him. "Now. Why would you ever be afraid of me, Richie?"

Damn him and that smirk, the way it pulled just a little wider, as if expecting the answer to be nothing but a lie, amber eyes bright. Like he was entirely amused at making Richie squirm, because he knew the real truth and was enjoying himself by listening to whatever story his mind could come up with. But, Richie wasn't going to give him the answer he wanted. He was still stubborn to a fault, and wasn't going to hand over control that easily.

"There _isn't_ a reason to be afraid of you. That's why I'm _not_!" His voice cracked once more, and he knew the mask of indifference he wore was cracked, traces that would be noticeable to Edward and his keen eyesight. "And you're insane if you think otherwise." It was a lie, once again, because he really was scared, though not of the other male himself. Of getting hurt again. He'd had enough of that in his relatively young life already, and especially in such a short time. It wasn't the best reply he'd come up with, but maybe there was still enough of the self-conscious Edward in the other male that it would at least give him some sort of pause.

But, this wasn't the self-conscious Edward. This one was on a mission and hell-bent on completing it, no matter much of a roundabout fashion it would require because of his mate's stubbornness and denial. "When it comes to you, I guess that I am."

_What?!_ For as close as they gotten, how much tension was between them, the feeling's he ignited in Richie's very inexperienced heart, a statement like that just didn't make any sort of sense. One that was that personal. That _intimate_. As if they'd known each other for years, instead of just days.

And that statement threw the human male entirely off whack. "Look, Edward, it was just one day. Not even one day. A-And it's also not your concern with what I do...I-I don't - you're n-not - I don't belong to you."

A growl abruptly pierced the stillness of the room, as the taller male advanced on the shorter.

_Fuck._

That reaction was definitely _not_ what he intended.

Something locked in the wizard's throat, and he instantly regretted his choice of words as he backed away just as slowly, trying to desperately maintain the distance between him and Edward.

* * *

Richie didn't think he belonged to Edward.

Edward was determined to prove him wrong on that.

Warning bells were exploding in the back of his mind, telling him to ignore the monster, the vampiric side of him that he'd given free reign to almost the entirety of the exchange, but he disregarded each and every one of them. Because he'd stand by the promise he made to himself. He wouldn't hurt his mate - he'd never do such a thing. But, it was about time that beautiful little bundle of nerves, confusion, and stubbornness in front of him understood exactly what he meant to the amber-eyed vampire.

On top of that, Richie was _really_ cute when he was scared.

* * *

Edward really didn't seem to be in the mood for any sort of conversation anymore, especially if that growling was anything to go by. Deep breaths pulled that grey shirt even tighter against his chest, showing of a muscle definition that was horridly distracting to Richie when he really needed to concentrate on backing up. There was an even bigger problem with that, though.

With just three more steps, Richie found himself pressed between the refrigerator at the wall it rested against, effectively trapping him in a corner and leaving him with nowhere to go. And Edward looked about as receptive to stopping as he was to talking. And those amber eyes bore into him, silently daring him to move, resist, try _something_ to combat Edward, and also knowing full well he wouldn't.

That was bad. _Very bad_.

Knowing he had a small window of opportunity to defend himself, the human male did the only thing he could think of, regardless of the consequences. He tried to cast the very same protections spell that kept him protected from the rain just a day or two ago, though on a much larger scale, since he was trying to protect himself from another human.

What came out was anything but.

Because it was almost like a hand grasped in the front of Edward's tight shirt and pulled him forward with lightning speed. The amber-eyed man's arms landed heavily against the wall and the front of the refrigerator, fencing the wizard in with his taller body entirely. This was it. His magic had done it now, teaming up with the vampiric beast in Edward to outright _force_ them together.

If Richie wasn't so terrified, he would've outright sighed.

As it was, he ended up gasping in surprise as he realized just what had happened. His magic had yanked Edward toward him, hence why his magic went all crazy whenever the other male was around. It wanted them together. And he had no knowledge as to why anyone's magic would do something like that, make them gravitate toward another person.

And then, there was nothing but Edward, as Richie's gasp had drawn the other male's cool scent into his lungs. Just as quickly as his thoughts bottomed out, his body went into overdrive city. He felt as if he were hit with a second wind, while also being out of breath. Some parts of him were unbearably hot, while others were shuddering as if he were cold. Some parts were awake and throbbing, others were slack and unresponsive.

His knees suddenly gave out, one of the parts slack and unresponsive, and his hands gripped at whatever they could find for purchase, without a thought as to what they'd grab. His left hand went to Edward's right shoulder, his right went into the other male's messy bedroom hair. He had barely a second to remember it was softer than he remembered before his body pitched forward...only for a chest as firm as the wall press into his own just as quickly, with another low growl.

Two arms held him in place against that marvelously hard chest, as he looked up and saw amber swirling above him. And it was all he could see now that they were so close to one another.

_Eyes aren't supposed to do that._ The thought was brief and fleeting, because he felt warm breath mingling with his own, the strength in the muscled body pressing into him, the slight chill of the other male's skin, teasing and taunting him with the simultaneous warmth and chill, making him start to tremble as everything he was feeling started to come to a head, scrambling from where he shoved it all down.

And then, finally, he felt that contact on his lips. Firm, but gentle, that more than anything showed him that, _yes_, Edward felt the exact same way about him. That the amber-eyed man was wanting him as much as he wanted him.

The whimper he let off as he felt a cool tongue pry his lips open was beyond his control, his body focusing just on autopilot as his mind had completely shut down and needed to reboot now that this glorious male was kissing him. There was a feeling of ecstasy, a slight touch of misery that he'd been missing out on this because of his own idiocy, and the realization that Edward was being almost..._loving_...with him, because of his gentleness. The wizard inhaled a bit, and Edward's scent only made him arch his back a bit, his hand tangling in the bronze silk even more as he pulled the taller male in closer. And Edward responded in kind, deepening the kiss even more and ripping a moan from Richie's throat that vibrated down his, making him shudder. The wizard hadn't realized just _how much_ he'd wanted this, how much he wanted to feel Edward against him, thanks to his own denial.

Then, all at once, it was over, as the warmth on his lips was replaced with a stilling cold. And the chill came not from Edward's breath, either.


	13. Secrets

_**Chapter 12: Secrets**_

_**Author's Notes: I'm baaaaaaack! Happy New Year to everyone! Okay, I apologize for the lack of updates in general, simply because I started a new job, moved out to a new place with friends, and then had to look for a job there. Life is finally starting to settle down for me, so now I can get back to writing both this and Safe in the Arms of Love. I hope you guys are still with me on both stories, and I appreciate your patience with me!**_

_Thoughts are in italics._

He didn't want to open his eyes. He wanted to hold on to the feeling of Edward's lips pressing against his, moving against his, his tongue parting them to slip between them, drawing out sounds and feeling of electric heat that he'd never once felt before. He didn't want to open his eyes and see an empty room, see that Edward, this gentle, loving, and very stubborn male, had turned and run as the ramifications of kissing him had occurred.

That is, until a quiet chuckle outright made him open his eyes, seeing two pools of amber watching him, an amused smile on the other male's face. Instantly, he felt color rise to his cheeks, because Edward was still here, he just needed to breathe, he didn't run, and he was standing here being an idiot.

"I was wondering if you'd turned into a statue." The playfulness in the amber eyed man's teasing tone was something he'd never really heard before. It was...light, happy. Stemming directly from kissing him.

The very thought made Richie's cheeks warmer. "I-I'm not...I-I don't...My balance isn't...good...enough for that..." His brown eyes looked around, looking for an escape route. He wanted to walk around the taller male, get away so that he could hide his rapidly reddening cheeks, get his thoughts back in order and clear his head from the effect Edward and his mere presence had on him.

Of course, the vampire was going to have none of that. Not now. Not ever, if he had a say in the matter. _He really is too adorable..._ "Your balance seems well enough to me.." The sentence was said coyly, with a little smirk to match, his amber eyes watching the adorably fidgeting thing before him.

The sentence had hit home, done it's damage, because Richie looked into the pools of amber above him, heat rising from his neck, because Edward was flirting with him. Being coy, teasing playful, like he'd wanted to do it for awhile now. "W-Well...you're only saying that b-because you're..." His next words came out breathily, almost as if he'd just realized it was still happening. "...h-holding me up..."

Edward's smirk simply became more prominent, as he leaned into his mate a bit more, arms tightening infinitesimally around the human's smaller frame. "You make it sound like a bad thing..." He made sure to breathe into the other male's face, knowing without a doubt that his mate's brain would be scrambled.

And, true to form, Richie went slack-jawed at breathing in the amber-eyed man's scent. One that he didn't know just what it was, couldn't pinpoint anything in it. Just that it was utterly exquisite, the most beautiful thing he'd ever smelled in his young life. The fact that it was this flawless man who wore it...had it only made it that much more intoxicating. And when he remained silent for too long, he heard Edward chuckle, scent once again invading his sense more than it already was.

"Are you going to answer...?" The question was a taunt, the taller male leaning closer, his amber eyes and smirk amused as he watched his mate struggle to even answer that simple question, much less try and come back with an appropriate response to their post-kiss flirting. He felt Richie begin to tremble in his arms, as he leaned in closer, breath mingling with that of his mate's as his intentions became painfully clear. "Richie...?"

His name, whispering against his lips as Edward leaned into him closer, hanging back just enough so that his lips could torturously brush against his as it was whispered. And that was it. Because, he let off a moan that sounded more like a whimper, as it was he who brought their lips together this time, arms locking around Edward's neck.

The vampiric side of Edward raged with glee as Richie brought their lips together, the amber eyed man happily responding in kind, once again prying his willing mate's lips open with his cool tongue, ripping yet another moan from his mate's throat. The sounds Richie made like this made him feel like he was drunk, like he'd gorged himself on human blood...only the feeling was indescribably better. Even breathy little sigh, every whimper, every moan ripped from the back of his human mate's throat was caused by him. _Because_ of him. His mere presence, his lips, and his tongue.

He understood why Rosalie and Emmett could never keep their hands off each other. He understood why Alice and Jasper were hardly ever apart. He understood why his mother and father had waited for him to find this for himself. He wanted Richie, in every way he could have him. Body, Soul. Mind. Eternity.

Except he couldn't.

The thought brought him crashing headlong back to Earth, as he pulled back from his mate's lips with a gasp. He'd finally found his mate. He'd finally had him. Except he wouldn't have him forever. Because Richie _wasn't_ a vampire.

Richie was human.

"E-Edward...?"

That voice, mingling with the heavy breathing from their lips meeting again and again. He'd only have a short 70 years to hear it. Hear it in the mornings when his mate woke up. Throughout the day at every opportunity. And the end of the night, hearing it whispered that he loved Edward, just before those beautiful brown eyes closed to allow him to sleep. 70 years. If that.

"Edward...?" Two warm hands, gently coming to rest on either side of his face, brought him out of his thoughts, two pools of chocolate staring at him with concern that he'd gladly take the short time he'd be granted if he could see those eyes filled with such love and concern, simply for him.

"I apologize..." The vampire muttered out, a smile coming to his face just as quickly, lips coming to rest on his mate's forehead.

"You went somewhere just now...where was it?" Concern for him clearly weighed out over anything else, as Richie tiled his head slightly, a look of preplexion on his face as he asked the question. The observation nearly made Edward smile. _He misses nothing..._

"I just got lost in my thoughts for a moment, love. I'm sorry." A long, cool finger mimicked his mate slightly, gently tracing a path on his cheekbones, before coming to gently poke his nose.

Though, now it was Richie's turn to go somewhere else, the amber-eyed man watching as his mate swallowed thickly, the look in his chocolate orbs going from concern from his mental state to one of outright fear. His warm hands slid away from his face, leaving the chill unwelcome against his hard pale skin as a sight much less welcome materialized before him: Richie's brown eyes becoming moist. And now the roles were reversed, because it was the vampire's turn to look at his mate in concern. "Richie?"

"Were those thoughts about me?"

That voice. Edward had heard it, once, when Richie had mentioned his job not working out. The stark _fear_ in his voice that he would be judged for failing at such an endeavor in his young life was something the vampire had never wanted to hear from his mate's tone again. Which is why Richie's tone of voice nearly shattered his unbeating heart. He sounded broken. Destroyed. Like he dreaded the answer, but already knew that it would be exactly the worst thing he imagined.

"My beautiful boy..." Edward's voice was quiet, his long fingers now cradling Richie's face like he'd been doing moments ago, though his was in reverence, holding him like china, which he was in more ways than one. "...I've been thinking about you since the moment I met you." He looked so desperate to believe it, as he held in the moisture that was threatening to slide down his cheeks.

But, his words said otherwise. "Yeah, because I ran into you."

The vampire smoothly ignored the protest. "Because you're intriguing."

"I'm a _freak_, Edward. I'm a gay boy who lives all by himself on the edge of town and keeps to himself. I hardly know anyone and I like it that way, because I'm not good enough for anyone or anything. Even you, you're already having doubts and second thoughts, and we've only kissed twice, because I'm just-"

Edward simply used his lips to hush him up, for he wasn't going to listen to anymore of that. Listen to his mate put himself down, as his insecurity reared it's ugly head. Listen to his mate, his adorable, caring, selflessly thoughtful mate, stand here and tell him the worst parts everyone in this small town thought of him. What he thought of himself to get him to stay away. He wasn't going to go away, he wouldn't be scared off by these untrue things his mate was saying. He knew better, he _knew_ his mate could never be any of those things. And he was going to tell him as such.

Pulling back and registering the dazed look on Richie's face, Edward stayed where he was, so that their eyes could meet. Richie wouldn't look away, he knew that, and what he needed to say was going to be heard. "I don't want to hear you talk about yourself like that." His voice was sharp, his own anger coming out unintentionally, but Richie didn't seem to care, his eyes were wide at that simple sentence. "You're better than that, what the small-minded individuals in this town think of you. You're selfless, caring, thoughtful, and kind. You defended a family without even thinking about it or knowing them, simply because it was the right thing to do. That's the Richie I know, the Richie I care deeply about." He refrained from saying love. He knew such a word would scare his mate off, especially in his current emotional state. "I'm sure every member of my family would say the same."

The moisture collected in his human's eyes spilled over during the midst of emotional confession, long thumbs gently wiping it away, before Richie buried his head in the shoulder of his gray t-shirt. Edward was just as quick, his long arms gently constricting around the wizard's upper body, holding him against his body, as he was left to his own thoughts. The amber-eyed man felt rage, almost uncontrollable rage, at who, or what, had reduced his mate to such a state. To think the very worst things about himself, that he wouldn't be worthy of the love of another, that he wouldn't be good enough if he made any sort of mistake. He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer, but he'd find it out, either way.

Pressing a kiss to the top of his mate's head, the amber-eyed man whispered gently, "I'll return soon."

Richie's head lifted just as quickly off of his shoulder, brown eyes wide, red, and puffy. "I-I..W-Where are you...?"

He couldn't finish his question, the vampire's lips gently pressing to his forehead. "I'm going to get a few things for school..." As if he cared about such a thing right now, but the lie needed to be said right now. "...and extra clothes. I'd like to spend the night here, try to make you feel better. You'd be on my mind all night if I weren't sure you were alright. Unless you'd rather I didn't?"

"No, I-I don't." The relief he felt when Richie shook his head nearly made his knees weak, as he smiled softly at the smaller form of his human mate. "You're _always_ welcome here, Edward..."

"I'll return soon." The words, spoken gently and meant to reassure, were also a promise. He wouldn't be his letting Richie out of his sight all night.


	14. Arms to Fix a Heart

**_Chapter 13 - Arms to Fix a Heart_**

**_Author's Notes: I didn't say it last chapter, but I own nothing but Richie, the storyline, and the mistakes._**

_Thoughts are in italics._

All things considered, Edward drove much faster than necessary to get to his home. Not that he didn't drive faster than necessary on a regular basis, but it was faster than usual. it was Richie. His mate being the single reason behind it was enough for him, especially given his current emotional state. It was difficult enough to leave him for the ten minutes he'd be gone now, he wasn't lying when he said his mate would have been on his mind all night if he'd left. He smirked a bit at his own thoughts as he drove, coming upon the driveway that lead to his family's home.

_He'll still be on my mind all night._

The first mind he could hear, even at this distance, was Alice's, the female nearly bursting at the seams as she stood, ready and waiting with a change of clothing for her brother, not wanting him to stay here any longer than necessary. She was understandably excited, for the vision from weeks ago was finally going to happen, and having met Richie, she knew he would need Edward's presence in his life, in many more ways than one, and she would see to it personally that it would happen.

His silver Volvo was barely stopped, the door not even shut all the way before he was out of it, standing before his parents and Alice and Jasper in the foyer. Emmett and Rosalie were noticeably absent. Raising a curious eyebrow, the amber-eyed man looked between the four assembled vampires, before Jasper simply shook his head slightly, a silent signal that he didn't want to know exactly what Rose and her mate were currently up to.

Clearing his throat to dispel the thoughts of Emmett's subtle implication on how he wanted this night to go, Edward barely had time to open his mouth before Alice was in front of him, overnight bag in hand. "They know! I told them already!"

That explained why Esme looked ready to fly through the roof with happiness, and Carlisle looked prouder than he'd ever been before this. "You picked well, Edward. He's everything I've wanted for you and much more." His mother stepped forward silently, enveloping her son in a tight hug, one that expressed not only her own happiness at him finding his mate, but also her husband's words.

_I don't think she'll ever be able to thank Richie enough for what he did._

The thought came from Carlisle, smiling softly at his youngest son as a hand came to rest on his shoulder. The thought caused Edward to smile, and he was sure if he were still human, he'd be blushing.

Because he didn't know how he'd ever thank his mate for doing the very thing that brought him into his life, either.

* * *

"You're not putting yourself out to house me." Edward's voice was firm, his arms crossed over his chest in his simple black nightshirt Alice had packed for him, simply because it hugged his body snugly, showing off about everything he had to offer in his torso region. His pajama pants did the same to his buttocks region, and he couldn't help but silently thank her. He'd felt Richie's brown eyes on him more than once since he'd arrived and promptly changed...only to come out of the human male's bathroom to find him setting a makeshift bed on his living room couch. Which, when pressed, would be his mate's bed for the night, not his.

"Edward, I said you were welcome here, but not that you'd be sleeping on the couch tonight." Richie's voice was just as firm, standing to his own height to face the taller male. However, instead of shrinking back, like he'd done earlier, he was now standing his ground.

And putting others before himself, like the selfless boy he was. Which, tonight, the amber-eyed man was going to have to fix. Because there was no way Edward wasn't going to have his mate in his arms tonight.

"I'm not going to let you put yourself on your couch when your bed is more than capable of holding the both of us with little effort."

He watched as his mate opened his mouth to protest...only to snap it shut again as he tried to think of a response, some way to try and refuse the very thing that had probably crossed his mind more than once. It most certainly had stuck to the vampire's ever since Richie had told him he was welcome here in his small home. _Always_ welcome.

"Who hurt you so badly that you're so afraid to get close to me?" The question came out quietly, amber's eyes softening considerably as he watched his mate struggle with an argument to their sleeping situations...only to cloud over with stark fear once again.

"H-How..I-I...N-No one's ever..."

"You look after others, but neglect yourself. You'll jump in and stand alone to help a perfect stranger, but believe the very worst about yourself. You feel comfortable enough to have friends, but feel you don't deserve the romantic love of another." Edward gently interrupted his mate's weak attempts at protestation, slowly coming to stand before him, his arms dropping to his sides to show that he meant no harm, that Richie could refuse to answer if he didn't wish to do so.

His mate remained silent, watching as the taller male came to stand before him, but once Edward stopped, his eyes went to his bare feet, the vampire's own standing before him. And then the walls, the couch, the coffee table. Anything that wasn't him, until one long finger gently lifted his chin, forcing those chocolate orbs to meet his amber ones.

"Tell me." He beseeched his human mate. "I'd like to help you."

Richie simply heaved a sigh in response, looking away once more as he gathered his thoughts again. And once he'd lost his patience, Edward dipped his head, catching the gaze of his mate once more. He watched as his human swallowed thickly, chocolate meeting amber once more...

"His name was Justin..."

* * *

His fingers moved rhythmically over the bare skin of his mate's arms, long arms wrapped around his smaller frame, gently spooning him from behind. The both of them were propped up on Richie's couch, Edward against an arm, and Richie against the vampire, who was thankful for his mate being in his arms. It gave him a chance to soothe himself, calm himself when the story his human was telling got a little too emotional for his own good. For Richie's ex was another male, by the name of Justin. One who promised him what Edward was promising him, a future, someone to love him without condition or reservation, someone who will support him for who he is and his choices, wherever they would take him.

Except, unlike the amber-eyed vampire, this other male hadn't meant any of it. For he only wanted one thing from his mate, and one thing only. And once Richie wouldn't give it to him, in a moment of his own weakness, he'd gone out and gotten it himself.

"I don't even know his name..I mean, I don't _want_ to know his name, but I'm just curious..." His mate was saying, fiddling with his hands, smaller fingers tangling with each other as he spoke. "I mean, who was the person he deemed worthy enough to cheat on me with? Was he a stranger? Did I know him? Were him and I friendly...?"

It was a near repeat of earlier today. Listening to Richie nearly torture himself with his own questions, needing to know who was higher on someone's list than him. Someone who shouldn't matter to him anymore. But, here he was, wondering just who else was placed above him, put there by someone who didn't respect him enough to keep him at the forefront of their mind.

He pressed a kiss to Richie's head, his own long fingers tangling with the smaller ones of his mate's. "The answers to those questions shouldn't matter. Justin wasn't worthy of you anyway, love..."

Almost immediately, Richie began to protest, turning in Edward's arms to face him. "But, it was _my fault_ that he-"

He never got the chance to finish, because, also like earlier, the amber-eyed man silenced him gently with his lips. This time, however, it wasn't through just a simple kiss. It was also through his words. "No. It _wasn't_ your fault. You didn't drive him to cheat on you, Richie. He did that all on his own, because he wanted something you were unwilling to give him, and rather than wait for you to come around, he went out and took it from someone who would, permanently destroying his relationship in the process. Word it however you'd like to, but it comes down to the fact that _he wasn't worthy_ of someone like you. Someone respectful, someone who would willingly stand up for what he believes in even if he were standing alone, someone kind and thoughtful, someone that would think of everyone else before himself." A gentle kiss was pressed to his mate's warm cheek, the next sentence whispered against the skin he didn't have to look at to know was flushed. "It's time you had someone do that to you in your life."

"D-Do what...?" The stuttered reply came out, making Edward's lips curl softly as he held his mate tighter to his own body.

"Look after you, my beautiful boy..." A second kiss was pressed to his mate's cheek, as he inhaled lightly, catching the scent of lavender, his mate's addiction, mixed in with the scent that distinctly belonged to Richie. "You've been strong for everyone else. Now, let me be strong for you..."


	15. I've Never Done This Before

**_Chapter 14 - I've Never Done This Before..._**

**_Author's Notes: I own nothing, save for the storyline, Richie, and the mistakes. Two chapters in one day! WOOHOO! =D_**

_Thoughts are in italics._

"Edward..." Richie's brown orbs connected with the gentle amber ones staring back at him, the human male locked securely in the other male's arms, long fingers still tangled with his own shorter ones. "...y-you don't have to do that for me, really. I-I've done a good enough job of caring for myself."

"I know that you have." The statement wasn't harsh, still gentle in the amber-eyed man's velvet tone, but his human mate still recoiled a bit, as if struck. "I'm saying that you don't _need_ to anymore. You have a group of people now. Ones who would willingly help you, if you offered it. And even if you didn't, we still would help you. My family and I care about you, Richie."

Once again, his human mate kissed him lightly, and he responded in kind, keeping his lips and the pressure gentle, loving, and light, ignoring his vampiric nature wanting him to press firmly, slip his tongue between Richie's lips, and kiss him until he couldn't breathe. It wasn't what his mate needed right now, and it wouldn't be what he would give him.

_He needs someone to help him. Listen to him. Care._

The thought had been cycling through the amber-eyed man's brain since his mate first broke down earlier, and he saw just how _full_ of self-doubt his Richie was. He knew, on some level, there was more to the story than a simple cheating ex-boyfriend, though how someone could do such a thing to this extraordinary being in his arms, he couldn't fathom. Where were Richie's parents? Why was a seventeen year old male living by himself? Only a few of the questions the vampire wanted to ask, but he also knew to do so, he'd end up frightening his mate off, clearly unwilling to answer such things. He considered himself lucky he was being told of his mate's ex. He'd be willing to venture no one else in the small town knew of his existence, Alice included.

Feeling his mate pull back, Edward kept him close, amber eyes clearly showing the affection he felt for this young, unspoiled fawn in his arms. "Is that what this is like...?"

The question came out, so low that without his supernatural hearing, Edward would have missed it. As such, he heard it clearly, tilting his head slightly, wondering what Richie had meant by it. "Hm?"

"Oh!" Immediately, that lovely little blush rose to his mate's cheeks, and the vampire had to resist the urge to gently kiss it, lest he make his mate even more flustered. _Not that seeing him blushing would be a bad thing..._ "S-Sorry if you missed that. I wasn't even supposed to say that out loud, really, just thinking to myself. I guess my brain's not really functioning properly, kind of on overdrive at this point, I guess and-"

As adorable as Edward found his mate, he really needed to stop and breathe before he passed out from lack of oxygen. Which is why he leaned in, gently placing his lips to the wizard's nose, and, like a button, it silenced him almost instantly...though not without bringing a darker tint to his cheeks. _I'll have to remember that..._

"Love, calm down." There were a few chuckles laced with the gentle command, showing his amusement over Richie's babbling, as Edward's long fingers began gently brushing the backs of the human boy's hands. Watching as his mate followed his command, breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth, he tried to ignore the bubbling of the venom in the back of his throat, thankful that he'd fed and stuffed himself with animal blood before going searching for his mate. Otherwise, the position he found himself in would be ten times riskier.

"I'm sorry. Again." Ignoring that entirely, he simply smiled, raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at his mate, hoping he'd get the hint to explain what he'd meant by letting a thought slip out. Once again, he watched silently as his mate swallowed thickly, brown eyes looking away from his for a beat. "I was just wondering...i-if this is what I'm supposed to feel...?"

Tilting his head once more, though this time in genuine confusion, Edward regarded Richie curiously. "Feel about what?"

"About meeting someone. Someone who obviously likes me. Someone who has a family. Someone willing to help me out. Just _listen_ to me! Care about me and how I'm actually feeling, not just use that as a way to talk about themselves and their problems. Am I supposed to feel this...light? _Happy?_ Is it supposed to feel this...**_right?_**" His human mate's brown eyes shone with curiosity, and a bit of disbelieving wonder. It hurt the vampire a bit to know that his mate wasn't used to such feelings.

_How to word this without giving too much away..._ "I think that you need some feelings like this in your life, love. You've clearly experienced much in your young life, more than most anyone in this small town has gone through at all, if I were to place a wager." It was his subtle way of letting Richie know that he knew there was more to his story. "I think you need something, or even some_one_, in your life that brings these feelings out in you. I can tell you've gone far too long without them."

Letting out a laugh, Richie simply smiled sadly. "Yeah, I can say that it's been a while since I've felt like this..." Looking away from him, Edward was discouraged to see that his mate's eyes were once again moist, feeling yet another undercurrent of anger. At anyone, everything, Justin, and anyone who may have made his beautiful boy feel this way about himself, unable to accept when someone saw the very best parts about him, tried to make him feel happy. Loved. _**Safe.**_

A kiss was pressed into his dark hair. "I think you're long overdue to feel this way." The vampire whispered gently to him. _I know I am, my love._

* * *

"Is it odd...?"

The question startled Edward out of his own thoughts, having drifted off a bit. He and his human hadn't moved, instead laying under the blanket Richie had laying across the back of the couch, sandwiched between his taller frame and the back of the couch. Honestly, the amber-eyed man had thought he'd fallen asleep. "Is what odd, love?"

Two brown eyes connected with his amber orbs, Richie's head laying on his chest. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling at all, having him snuggled against his cooler body. "That you're having such intimate conversation with a friend."

The sentence made the vampire smirk. "i'd hardly consider us _friends_, Richie."

That adorable look of annoyance glossed over Richie features, making his smirk that much more of amusement. "You know what I mean, Edward."

"Yes, I do..." His voice became gentle, long fingers lightly sweeping through his mate's dark brown hair, the feeling of doing so giving him a pleasure that merely thinking about had paled in comparison. "..and no, I don't find it odd. This is what happens in a normal relationship, isn't it?"

He felt Richie stiffen at the question, his brown eyes going wide. "I-I wasn't aware we were...I-I mean, are you...w-would you..."

Edward kept his face gentle, even though he felt his vampiric side screaming at him to say yes, take what was his, claim it and not let anyone else have it. "Would you? I admit that I've never given much thought to a label or who I'd fall for. I'd fall for who they were, their personality, before I'd worry about something as trivial as their gender." His other hand gently cupped his mate's cheek, the other still gently running through his dark locks in an effort to calm him down. "You're the first who's caught my eye in quite a long time."

His mate, on the other hand, swallowed thickly, the look in his eyes saying it all. How badly he wanted to say yes to Edward's question, but was paralyzed by his own fear of getting hurt again. "I-I don't think I'm ready...yet..."

"That's quite alright love." He tried to not let his disappointment show, how he wanted to have his mate in every way he should have him in his life. Still, if simply being friends was all he would take, he would. He'd do anything to keep his beautiful boy around.

"Are you sure? Because, Edward, I don't want to-"

"Shh." The vampire shushed him gently, pressing a finger to his lips. "It's fine. You're not ready and I respect that. Just know that when you're ready, there's someone waiting for you. And I'm not going to leave you like Justin did. I mean it when I said I'll wait for you."

His mate still looked unsure, still so scared, that he couldn't resist the urge to raise his head, plating a kiss in the dark tresses his fingers began running through once more. "Rest, love. I've given you a lot to think over. I'll be here in the morning." Edward knew, without even being able to read his mind, that his mate was keeping things from him, and whatever it may have been was the thing holding him back from giving himself over. He knew his mate felt the bond they shared, and from what he knew about the bond between a vampire and their mate, the bond would only get stronger over time. And, as Richie got comfortable, snuggling between him and the cushions of the couch, one thought was prevalent in his mind.

_I'll wait forever if it's necessary, my love._


	16. Start Me Up

_**Chapter 15 - Start Me Up**_

_**Author's Notes: I own nothing, save for the storyline, the mistakes, and Richie.**_

_Thoughts are in italics._

"Wake up." The words were gently whispered into the exposed ear of his sleeping mate, an amused smile coming to his face when Richie simply groaned out, burying under the covers more. "Richie, we have school, love." Laughter coated the amber-eyed man's tone, even though the very last thing on his mind was going to the institution of learning. He'd much rather spend the day here with his mate, but he also wasn't going to selfishly keep him here. He _did_ need an education, after all...

"Nooo!" The word was low, ground out in a growl, and the only verbal response the vampire got.

Edward, for his part, couldn't stop chuckling, having something he'd wondered about his mate since the moment he'd realized the bond answered. _He really is just as stubborn waking up as he is during the day._ "Richie, it's after 6:25. Aren't you supposed to be awake and moving by now?"

"No." The word was muffled by the pillow Richie currently found his face in, but the vampire caught it easily. "I'm usually up in ten minutes, and then I run around like crazy trying to get ready."

The images of his mate doing that made Edward smirk, because he could very well see it happening. _So stubborn to cling to sleep..._

"What in the _heck_ is so funny?" Richie's voice came next to him, as he propped himself up to stare at the taller form of the vampire, squinting thanks to his vision defect and not having his glasses. He blinked as another thought occurred to him. "And how in the heck did I get in my bed?"

The amber-eyed man lost the will to hold back, leaning in and happily kissing the adorable mouth of his mate, still chuckling happily into it, Richie's hands sliding up the black shirt he still wore as a cover for sleeping and into his soft bedroom hair, running through the messy silk. Pulling back, he had a happy grin on his face, once again chuckling at the dazed look on his mate's face. "_You're_ the funny one, love. You're just so..._**cute**_...in the mornings. Have you always been like this?"

"Wanting my sleep and saying fuck everything else?" Richie asked him bluntly, trying not to focus on Edward calling him the thing that had him amused so. "Yeah, I have. You should see me on the weekends, I'm not out of bed before nine, even if I've been awake since 7:30."

_Something that I must see._ Edward didn't voice the thought, instead leaning in to press his lips to his mate's forehead. "You are _ridiculously_ adorable..." He nearly smirked once more, seeing his mate's cheeks turn a light dusting of pink. it was a sight he never tired of seeing, and probably never would.

'You-You...never answered my question, you know!" It took a few moments for the statement to come out, probably due to just waking up, as well as the amber-eyed man flirting with him so early in the morning.

And Edward's face softened at his Richie's stubbornness, seeking the answer to the question. Long fingers went into the dark hair of his mate, gently combing through it as he spoke, "I carried you in, love. Tucked you in." He tried not to dwell on the memory of scooping his slumbering mate into his arms, shushing him lightly when he made a noise of protest, how he curled into him in slumber as he carried him. It proved difficult.

Richie, for his part, looked surprised by the revelation. Utterly surprised. "Edward, you...stayed all night?"

The vampire tilted his head to one side, the tiny crease coming to rest between his eyebrows, much like it did when he was confused and trying to figure something out. "Yes, love, I did. You invited me to. Why wouldn't I stay the night?" _Part of the night, but he doesn't need to know I fed while he slept._

Richie, once again, looked dumbfounded, like someone with a romantic interest in him wouldn't spend the night. "I-I'm sorry. It's...I've never done...this...before..."

The vampire tried not to growl in frustration, once again bothered by the fact that he couldn't read his mate's mind. "You mean, you've _never_ had someone spend a night? Wake up to them next to you?"

The wizard remained silent, his lips pursed into a thin line, before he finally gave off a verbal answer, one that the amber-eyed man aready knew was coming. "...No."

Edward acted without thinking, gathering Richie into his long arms and cradling him against his chest, savoring the warmth of the human's body on his own. "Your parents wouldn't let you have Justin over...?"

"My parents didn't even know about him."

The vampire blinked his amber eyes, the dots quickly coming together at that simple statement. Why Richie was here by himself. Why he came from the other side of the country. Why he ad no discernable family to speak of...still, he needed to hear the words to fully believe it. "Oh, Richie...did your parents...? What you said that day to Jessica, surely you didn't mean..." He knew it, he knew what he feared would be coming out of his mate's mouth.

There was a quiet sniff. His beautiful boy was crying. "Yeah...they did..."

Once more, the vampire acted on autopilot, pushing his love off of him...only to roll and settle himself atop him. Amber eyes bore into milk chocolate below them, as he leaned in, gently kissing away the wetness that stained the boy's cheeks. "You...will **_never_** have to worry about that again..." He whispered, almost reverently against his broken mate's skin. "...you have me, you have Alice, you have our entire family. We're not going to abandon you."

"Edward, my own parents didn't want me, because I'm such-"

The amber-eyed man didn't bother to let his mate finish that sentence. "_Don't_. _Do **not**_ say one more self-deprecating thing about yourself." His tone was firm, the words almost a growl, his amber eyes so hard that they might have been the very stone that came from. Edward was _pissed_.

Richie swallowed thickly, clearly looking to protest...and he probably would have if Edward didn't press two long fingers to his lips, effectively silencing him from any more words.

"I get it now." His voice became softer, gentler, though his amber eyes still betrayed the underlying fury he felt, deciphering why his mate was the way he was. Not that he'd change a thing about him. "Why you're so loving, caring, thoughtful of others...but neglect yourself. You want to make everyone happy, love them without condition, because you don't want them to feel the same way you did when Justin cheated on you. Or your parents disowned you for something as trivial as loving a man. But, love, you deserve to be happy, too. You deserve to have someone in your life who will do the same things for you that you'll do for everyone else. You deserve to have someone protect you. _Love you_. **_Cherish you_** for everything you have to offer the world."

"But, where, Edward? Where am I going to find-?"

The vampire shut him up with a kiss. A long, slow kiss that was like honey in it's sweetness, cool hands gently cradling the face of his mate underneath him. "You have _me_, love." The words were whispered against his beautiful boy's lips, not an inch of space between them, his cool breath fanning into the face of his human love, just as Richie's was doing to him. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling at all. "_I'm_ willing to do all of those things for you. I've made that abundantly clear. And I know you feel something for me, too. Stop fighting it, please. Let yourself be happy."

"Edward, I'm scared..." Richie was gasping beneath him, obviously torn between sticking to his own morals or listening to the vampire's words.

"I know that, love. I'm scared, too..." Another gentle kiss was placed to the trembling lips beneath him, meant to reassure, show he meant no harm. "...but I feel we could be great together. I'll make you happy again. You'll have a family again, be a part of one that will love you for who you are. Don't you want that again...?"

There was a shuddering breath beneath him, before a desperate, emotional plea. "Edward, just kiss me, please!"

And the vampire did exactly as his mate plead him to, surrendering himself happily with a groan. Because he knew that meant his mate had agreed.


	17. Prying Eyes

_**Chapter 16 - Prying Eyes.**_

_**Author's Note: It finally happened! The boys are together! I own nothing, save for the storyline, the mistakes, Richie, and a new character I'm about to introduce!**_

_Thoughts are in italics._

_**Text messages are in bold and italics.**_

"Is it just me...or is everyone _staring_?" His mate's voice was at a whisper, milk chocolate eyes wide behind his glasses as he took in the crowd of students gawking at Edward and himself, giving them both a wide berth as if they were two demonic beings sent to kill them or something.

Edward, on the other hand, hadn't noticed any of the young humans gawking at him. He was far too pleased to care about what they thought, even though he could hear a few thoughts clearly as they passed by their owners.

_I **should've** known!_

_Newbie's **so** lucky! How did he get **Edward Cullen** to crack?_

_I never realized he was **gay**!_

_He's **too hot** to be gay!_

Both of them knew that going into school holding hands, much like they were now, was going to cause an utter hurricane around school. Mainly because Edward Cullen, who avoided dating like it was the plague, was holding someone's hand. Even better, that someone was a guy...and the new guy who just recently handed Jessica Stanley her ass on a plate.

_No **freaking** way!_

Speaking of the statistic waiting to happen...

Edward couldn't hold back a smug little smirk as he looked over, catching the gobsmacked look on Jessica's face as he and his...boyfriend, passed her by. He tilted his head in a customary 'hello' greeting, as if everything was normal, and her jaw wasn't on the floor at seeing him and Richie holding hands as they walked through the hall together. _How did...**When** did that..._ Her thoughts became muddled, gibberish, as she tried to correctly get one of the many out, and Edward stopped listening a split second after that.

"What on earth do you look so darned smug about?" His mate's voice, laced with confusion, but also a lightness that Edward would spend the rest of his very short existence wanting to hear, helped pull him away from the insipid girl's thoughts. Because he helped to cause such a tone.

Pressing a kiss into the boy's hair, and utterly ignoring the shocked gasps and whispers, as well as a few phones snapping pictures, the vampire simply whispered into his human mate's ear. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you..."

* * *

_**Your mate's missing you. ;)**_

Edward simply chuckled at the text message he got from Alice as he sat in Biology, unable to stop smiling since this morning, when Richie had agreed to give their relationship a tentative shot. He was thrilled, overjoyed, at finally breaking his mate down, but now the new task was going to be proving to him that he wasn't going to break his spirit...like so many others before him had.

**_Tell him I miss him too,...since he's undoubtedly sitting nearby._**

Almost immediately, another reply came in.

_**Done, and he blushed in that adorable way we both like seeing. ;)**_

_Any way he blushes is adorable to me, sister._ He didn't voice the thought, but had no doubt in his mind that Alice sent that text message on purpose. _**He'd blush more if I kissed his cheeks, you know...**_

A response didn't come right away, and the amber-eyed man had guessed his sister had either gotten called on, or ended up in a conversation with his human mate.

_**Nice try, dear brother. He says you haven't kissed his cheeks when he's blushed yet. Though he knows you will, just to fluster him more.**_

Edward couldn't help but chuckle out loud at that, ignoring the several heads that whirled in his direction. Mainly because he knew that his mate's words were nothing but the truth.

* * *

"Richie."

The voice was quiet, laced with a dialect that wasn't from the United States at all. He knew immediately that it wasn't any of the Cullens, for they were all in the cafeteria, while he was still at his locker. Turning to the voice's owner, he gave them a soft smile.

"Serena, hi. Is something up?"

Serena Kyoshi simply smiled in response, shaking her head silently that there wasn't anything up. A transfer student from Tokyo, Japan who had arrived last year, Serena was as quiet and shy as he was back at his old school. The two had seen each other in passing through the halls since his first day, when he had stopped her and asked her for directions around the school, and then once more when she came into the gas station for a Diet Cherry Pepsi on his first night there. He had rung it up and given it back to her, paying for it himself as his way of thanking her for helping him out on his first day. Luckily, Jillian had been nowhere around to see him do it.

"There is nothing." She answered him, fiddling with the strap of the small purse she had over her shoulder, her hands free of books like his were going to be in a moment. "I was wondering if you would like to have lunch sometime with me."

"Oh." Brown eyes widened a bit at the question. "Um, well, I'm free today, if you'd like."

"Oh. No, I did not mean today." A smile coated the Japanese girl's features, laughter in her tone. "I did not mean here. I meant up in Port Angeles. As my way of thanking you for buying me my drink a few nights ago."

Too kind to simply accept such an offer, especially for as small a reason as that, Richie began to protest. "Oh, Serena, hon, you _really_ don't have to do that."

"I insist." She told him honestly, though her voice was still quiet, her tone was firm. "You did not have to buy me a drink, yet you did, anyway. I must do something kind for you in return, it's simply how I am."

At such a revelation, Richie simply smiled softly at her in return. "You'll be doing so for a while. Because I'm the exact same way."

Serena smiled herself, laughing quietly, making Richie do the same along with her. "So, then. It is a date?"

"We'll have to meet up and talk about a day to do it, but yes. It's a lunch date...and then I'll have to figure out how to repay your act of kindness." The boy answered her, still smiling as he stood up and closed his locker, the both of them wandering in the direction of the cafeteria.

"I am sure you will think of something." The girl reassured him, with a smile of her own.

"Just give me some time, I _definitely_ will." Richie promised her, as they both walked into the lunchroom, already crowded because they were both a little late.

"We will talk later?" The question was asked with a tilt of the girl's head, the both of them heading in opposite directions, Serena having packed her lunch, Richie needing to buy his.

"Definitely!" The boy answered her with a smile, before they both went their separate ways.

Or, at least one of them had. Richie had run into a hard chest before he'd even fully turned around.

"I hope you're not cheating on me, love."

Long arms went around him to help steady him, the quiet velvety voice registering after a split second beat.

Looking up into the playful amber eyes of his boyfriend, Richie simply smiled coyly in return. "What if I _am_? What if I told you that I made a lunch date with Serena Kyoshi?"

Edward simply sighed, as he pretended to think over his mate's question, as if he really _would_ cheat on him with someone else, much less someone of the opposite gender. "I think I'd have to remind you that you were seeing someone else..." He replied over the din, his voice smooth like velvet even then.

Making his brown eyes wide and innocent as he could, Richie simply tilted his head to one side...like he had absolutely no idea what the amber-eyed man was planning. "But, Edward. Just _how in the world_ do you plan on doing such a thing?"

A small smirk, one that Richie should have recognized as trouble for his cheeks, graced the taller vampire's face. "I'm glad you asked..."

Before Richie could even come up with a retort, he found himself suddenly moving, before staring up at the ceiling and the amber eyes on his boyfriend, just seconds before he felt the gentle coolness of Edward's lips on his own. And with a happy sigh, he responded in kind, one hand clinging to the taller male's shoulder, the other working it's way into Edward's permanent bedroom hair, both males utterly indifferent to the fact that they weren't alone.

After what felt like an entirely too short time, Edward pulled back, inspecting the happily dazed look on the face of his human love. "Convincing enough for you?" And, like clockwork, Richie's cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

And the human, for his part, could only nod his head in silence, utterly unused to feeling so..._wanted_. By someone who wasn't afraid to show it, in private and in public. And how did he land on his feet again?

Next to him, Edward chuckled happily, satisfied thoroughly with his handiwork. "Come on, love. Let's get you a soda and calm you down." One of the mysteries of his beautiful boy, caffeine had the opposite effect on him than it did most humans. Instead of winding him up and keeping him awake, it helped to calm him down. He couldn't wait to find out other little details about his mate.

Now that he had the chance to do so.


	18. The Cullen's Approval

**_Chapter 17 - The Cullens' Approval_**

**_Author's Notes: I own nothing, save for the storyline, the mistakes, and Richie._**

_Thoughts are in italics._

"I take it last night went well?" Emmett was the first to speak as soon as his youngest brother and his human mate had sat down at the table, Edward with a tray of food, while Richie just stuck with a soda, a giant grin on his face.

The token human simply stared, unsure of how to respond, because his mind had taken that seemingly innocent question and tossed it right into the gutter. Oh, dear god, I hope he doesn't mean what I think he means!

When the biggest of the entire family raised a simple eyebrow, clearly expecting an answer, Richie somehow found the nerve to speak up. "I-I...uhhhh...h-he and I really didn't..." A nervous, semi-hysterical laugh passed his lips, because did Emmett really think that happened?!

"Well, I know you didn't do that." A loud laugh escape Emmett's lips, as a giant grin came to the biggest vampire's face. "I meant you and Ed getting together. What'd you think I meant?"

Once again, the human was struck speechless, as he felt heat rising to his face from his neck, unable to answer the other male's question even under a threat on his life.

Which is why he was surprised when a grunt came from the hulking male, afforded by the blonde goddess Rosalie smacking him in the chest. "You know exactly what he thought you meant, pervert!" She snapped at her own boyfriend.

Alice simply laughed her tinkling laugh, once again sounding like windchimes. "You'll have to forgive him, Richie. He thought I was kidding with how easily you blush." Her gaze went from the human to the hulking vampire. "He should know I'm not a liar by now."

"Hey, can I help it if I've got a dirty mind and want to see my little brother get some?" Emmett asked them all collectively, still with a jovial grin, unaffected by the smack from his girlfriend.

"_Yes_." Three dry voices, two female and one male but effeminate, answered him.

His grin only got wider at that, turning his amber gaze to the one of his bedroom-haired brother, watching the scene with an amused smirk. "Looks like your boy's gonna fit in fine, Edward. It's about time the girls stopped getting outnumbered on everything." Once again, three pairs of eyes rolled a bit, two amber and one brown.

"Is he like this all the time?" Richie turned to the tall blonde, who idly flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"Yes." She answered him simply. "You'll learn to ignore it after awhile. It's what I do."

"Hey!" The protestation came from her hulking boyfriend, making the others at the table laugh quietly.

"You'll also hear that from him often, especially when he realizes he's lost. Or I'm right about something." Rosalie informed the human of the group, watching the scene with unabashed interest.

"I have _so much_ to learn about you guys." Richie just muttered with a shake of his head, more to himself than any of the siblings, though they all caught his words easily.

"Oh, you'll get it." Jasper piped up in his light Southern accent, a soft smile on his face. "You're smart, and you're observant enough. After a few weeks' time, you'll be just another one of us."

"Watch out for Emmett, though." Edward leaned in to whisper into his mate's ear. "He likes to learn your weaknesses, play them to his strength. He's the joker of all of us, if you couldn't tell."

"Like _you_ wouldn't be the first to try and make him turn as red as a tomato." Emmett piped up with a scoff, making Richie's eyes go wide.

"How in the heck did you hear him?!" The human asked him, blurting out the question before he could stop himself.

And because of his human eyes and ears, he missed Rosalie whispering, "Good job, Emmett." As well as his boyfriend's narrowed amber orbs.

Utterly ignoring the both of them, he just gave the human a sly grin. "Like he wasn't thinking about doing it himself anyway."

This time, the bedroom-haired vampire's eye narrowed to the point where his mate could see them. "I was, thank you very much, but I'd rather catch him off guard about it." He face softened as he turned to his mate, a smug little smirk coming to grace his lips. "He blushes deeper that way."

As it was, Richie couldn't help a glare towards the taller form of his boyfriend...or a light dusting of pink to his cheeks thanks to the amber-eyed man's statement. "Oh, hush you."

The smirk only grew more pronounced. "Why don't you make me?" A silent dare passed in the taller male's amber eyes.

And Richie fell for the bait easily, sitting up a bit to press his lips into Edward's, the vampire chuckling happily as he returned the contact, uncaring about what his family must be thinking, and unaware of the fact that they were thinking the exact same thought.

_They're going to be utterly disgusting from now on._

And not one of them could be unhappy about it.

* * *

"I'll be right back." Richie said to the collective group as he stood up with his empty Coca Cola can. Seeing the question mark on Edward's face, he leaned in to capture his boyfriend's lips quickly and chastely. "Don't worry, I'm just going to the bathroom. And I'll try not to trip over something that magically jumps out at me in the five minutes I'm gone."

Emmett barked out a laugh, grinning widely as both his youngest brother and his human mate turned their gazes to him. "What? I got the image of him falling over his own two feet!"

Once again, Richie simply rolled his eyes, an action he had a feeling was going to become very common in the hulking male's presence. "You won't find it so funny when I end up injuring myself, Emmett." He shot back as he walked off toward the garbage cans, trying for a toss in and missing entirely. He tried to ignore the bark of laughter that came from the biggest of the family, but couldn't help sending a peeved look toward him, anyway, just before he exited the room.

And, just as quickly as he'd left, the family began discussion about the human male.

"I like him." Emmett proclaimed honestly, grin still in place. "Seems kinda scared of me, still, and still on the shy side, but I'll fix that soon enough."

"Yes, because we all know you're not as scary as you look. He doesn't yet." Rosalie said with a pat to one of her mate's hulking arms, making him glare at her for a moment before stealing a kiss.

"Esme wants him back again." Alice told Edward honestly, looking at the form of her brother from her own seat. "And, given your change of relationship, it would be appropriate to have him spend a night. Since you spent the night at his home last night."

Edward chuckled at the thought. His parents so anxious to see his mate once more, proving he'd already won them over as far as their approval. Really, he had a feeling Esme simply wanted to see him once more, and Carlisle wanted a chance to get to know him more, as well.

However...there was a slight problem.

"I'm not sure when he has work again. And I doubt he'd like to come over after getting home at midnight."

Emmett snorted a bit at that answer, however truthful it may have been. "You just want him to yourself a bit more."

Edward offered his oldest brother an eyeroll, though the sentence was true. "As truthful as that may be, Emmett, you _do_ forget that he does need his sleep, too?"

The hulking vampire blinked at that, afforded with smug looks from his girlfriend, youngest brother, Jasper, and absolutely no help from Alice. "Well, I, uh..."

"Forgot." Rosalie supplied helpfully, with a smirk to match her tone, Edward doing the same.

"I'll talk to him about it. I'm sure he'd like to spend a night over, anyway, see Esme and Carlisle again." The bronze-haired of the group told his siblings. "Though, I can't promise when it'll be."

"You know that's no problem." Alice informed him honestly, smiling lightly. "Esme will welcome him whenever he'd like to come over. Really, it's up to him."

The vampire nodded silently, his own excitement at the prospect of having his mate spend an evening rushing through his body. Though, he also realized something belatedly.

He'd have to go out for a bed if this were to happen.


	19. Come and Get Revenge

_**Chapter 18 - Come and Get Revenge.**_

_**Author's Notes: I own nothing, save for the storyline, the mistakes, Richie, Jillian, and a new character I'm about to introduce. The song featured in this chapter is Come &amp; Get It by Selena Gomez.**_

_Thoughts are in italics._

Unfortunately for Edward, his mate ended up having work, which meant that he wouldn't be spending the night over at the Cullen household. Though, as Emmett teasingly pointed out, he couldn't really be annoyed by such a turn of events. For it meant that he had Richie to himself for another night. For now, he was busily trying to occupy himself, playing a song on the piano in an attempt to pass the time until he went to see how his mate's night at work was going.

However, if he knew how it was going, he might have already gone. And stuck around to listen in.

* * *

Because his mate's night was hell. Not because of any customers. Not because of the new person who he was training with, a girl he'd seen around school whose name was Juliana LaRoque, but she preferred to be called Julia. Around his height, with the same dark features in hair color and eye color, Richie and Juliana could easily be mistaken as brother and sister. Especially with the matching dirty looks they had on their faces as, Jillian, the real reason why their night was so hellish, walked around on a freaking glorified power trip.

"Don't forget that the coffee, milk, and sugar needs to be refilled." She informed them both, pencil and clipboard in hand like she was entirely incapable of doing such things on her own.

"Yes, Jillian." Richie replied, his voice a monotone, because he'd already known he had to do that. He'd done it earlier and showed Julia how to do it, as well. on her orders.

"And which one of you is vacuuming the carpets, sweeping and mopping up the floors, and taking the trash out?" It was like the male hadn't spoken.

"I am, Jillian." Julia's voice held the same amount of disinterest as Richie's, fiddling with a pen as there was no one else around other than the three of them.

"And be careful on your registers." Once again, it was like duo hadn't said a word, the older girl going on with the chore list. "I can't afford to be responsible for your slip up, especially since I'm left in charge tonight. Which means I'm in charge of the two of you.."

"We know, Jillian." The answer came from the both of the underlings, voices blending into one tone of boredom. Almost as if they'd heard this speech before. Many times before.

Satisfied with their answers, their manager for the night left them, saying something about having to go to the bathroom.

"Good, I hope she falls in." Julia's voice dripped with annoyance, as she rubbed her temples after the door had closed.

"I don't." Richie said honestly. When Julia turned to look at him like he'd sprouted a second head, he just shrugged in response. "She'll probably make us clean it up if she does."

"Oh." His companion made a face like she'd just sucked a lemon. "Good point."

"Because god forbid she have to do anything on her own." Richie added onto his earlier statement. "She'll just have her little peons do it for her." He groaned, scrubbing at his eyes behind his glasses, before chancing a glance at the clock. "It's 8:37. We get out at 11. That means I don't get to see my boyfriend and forget about this _entire night_, present company excluded, for another two hours."

"Two and a half." Julia pointed out honestly. "Because do you really think we'll get out of here on time with Jillian the Slave Driver watching over us?" Her response was a drawn out groan.

Just as the door alarm went off, signaling a customer outside.

"Oh,_ holy hell_!" Julia groaned, dropping her head to the counter.

"Go awaaaaaay!" Richie's response was about the same.

A quiet, very smooth chuckle answered them both. "Is that how you greet customers?"

Julia's reaction was quick, but not as quick as Richie's, both of their heads flying up off the counter as Edward Cullen walked in, two pairs of brown eyes wide. Before, Richie just reacted on autopilot, nearly careening around the counter to launch himself into his boyfriend's arms.

And grunt, because _damn_! Edward, for as scrawny as he looked, was freaking _built_! "God, you're muscled. How did I not notice this before?"

A kiss was pressed into his dark hair, Edward chuckling happily at his mate's obviously overjoyed reaction to seeing him. "I missed you, too, love." He gently teased the human male. "And you've never really launched yourself into my arms before, have you?"

Brown eyes looked up to meet amber, the question getting a light blush like the vampire hoped it would. "W-Well...I-I mean...we _did_ sleep together last night..."

_He didn't tell me that!_ "What?!" Julia practically screeched from behind the counter, watching the scene before her happily.

"Not like _that_, you dirty minded little thing! Sleeping, in the same bed, with clothes on!" Richie retorted, still wrapped up in Edward's arms, who was watching this scene with a small smirk on his face.

"Hey, last I checked, you and I were the same height!" Julia retorted with any eyeroll. _And, I'll be taller than you once I get in heels, damn it._

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" Richie retorted honestly, dismissing her with a wave of a hand and going to happily press his lips to his bedroom-haired boyfriend's.

_What the **hell** are they doing out there?_ "Juliana? Richie? What's going on out-" Jillian's sentence abruptly cut off, seeing the customer in the store...and just how entwined he and Richie were. "Oh my god, Edward Cullen!" _He's here! Why is he here? And with **him**, no less?_

_Oh, dear god, the poor unlucky sap._ Julia's thoughts raged loud and clear, her expression distasteful.

Richie's wasn't any better, though he turned to his manager with a smile. "You make it sound like he's a celebrity, Jillian."

_He's definitely gorgeous enough to be one, and **definitely** too good for you._ The thought made the amber-eyed man's eyes narrow slightly, though imperceptively. "Well, he should be used to it by now. I mean, _look_ at him! And how he's come out of the closet by dating you. You guys are so **_cute_** together!" Her voice was entirely sincere, and if Edward din't have the power to read minds, he more than likely would've believed her. However, thanks to his gift, he knew he couldn't trust her at all, and that she was actually worse than Jessica Stanley.

However, that didn't mean his mate knew this. "Well, thank you. I'm happy. And he seems quite happy with me."

"He does, doesn't he?" _He switched teams once, he can do it again with the right...persuasion._

Edward simply held his mate closer at the thought going through his manager's mind, a growl too low for the humans to hear in the back of his throat, the vampiric side of him battling for control, not let harm befall that which was _his_.

_Oh please._ "And I doubt he'll leave someone he _finally_ tried dating for someone he's already rejected, so why don't you stop trying to put doubt in either of their heads and leave it, _and them_, alone?" Julia's voice brought Edward out his glaring fit at the eldest of the humans, and he couldn't help but smirk at the look on their manager's face, happy that someone else was on his mate's side and would be willing to at least help him out.

* * *

The amber-eyed man returned to the gas station at 11:05, having left earlier after being told by Jillian that he had to purchase something or leave, as loitering wasn't tolerated. Her thoughts betrayed her jealousy over him visiting his mate when she had no one to do the same for him, and he left feeling slightly worried she would do something to make Richie miserable. Hence why he'd thought she was worse than Jessica Stanley, which she was. Clearly in a position of power, but also not as transparent as Jessica.

Of course, he should've counted on his mate getting her back, because he let a grin nearly split his face in half when he heard Jillian's thoughts screaming loudly.

_Make them stop. Oh dear god, this is torture, I want them to stop. **Now!** Why did they have to like **her**? And did it have to be **this song**?!_

Letting a near mirror image of the smirk he wore when Richie ripped Jessica to shreds come to his face, Edward simply sat back, listening to the combination of his mate and coworker singing Come &amp; Get It by Selena Gomez, and Jillian's thoughts screaming like they were singing, or even doing, something infinitely worse.

"This love will be the death of me." Julia's voice was gone, her thoughts saying that she was calculating her register totals, leaving his mate to take the verse and the vampire to smile. "But, I know. I'll die happily."

_Shut up._

"I'll know."

_Shut **up** already._

"I'll know.

**_Oh. My. God._**

"I'll know..."

Julia's thought came through clearly, drowning out Jillian's of gibberish. _Sing it for your, boy, Richie!_

"Because you love me so."

And the vampire couldn't help but think of it as true. Because so long as he had Richie in his existence, he wouldn't look...or even think...about anyone else romantically.


	20. The Warmth of Words

**_Chapter 19 - The Warmth of Words_**

**_Author's Notes: I own nothing, save for the storyline, the mistakes, and Richie._**

_Thoughts are in italics._

"Thank you." Edward's velvet voice said quietly, as his boyfriend held open the door for him, before shutting and locking it behind him.

"No problem." His mate's voice was quiet, subdued, and more than a little tired. Though, if it came from mental or physical exertion, the vampire couldn't be certain.

_Probably both, working with that horrid girl._ The thought raced through his head as the human sank onto his couch heavily, the exhaustion clear in his face and body language as he untied his shoes and set them aside, before leaning back on the couch, as if he were welcoming the chance to finally take a seat. "Did you have a bad night, love?"

His amber eyes simply watched as Richie nodded silently, taking off his glasses to rub at his eyes, before he put them back on, then he finally spoke up, "It wasn't really bad, so to speak. It was just that Julia and I were running around like chickens with our heads cut off, while Jillian simply barked out the orders and didn't help. Or, she just talked about how good-looking my boyfriend is, not that I can disagree with that." A tired, though genuine, smile was directed at the taller male.

Edward smiled softly back, simply taking a seat next to his mate, a long arm coming to rest around the human's shoulders, gently pulling him into the hard planes of his chest. "I guess my visit did more harm than good, hm?" For his part, he knew that it had, since Julia had shut down Jillian's fake act of kindness quickly, and it had probably contributed to her and Richie getting barked at after he'd left.

Eyes the color of chocolate lifted, meeting the amber ones they knew would be watching. "No, it didn't. Serena stopped by and grabbed a Diet Dr. Pepper. And you can visit me anytime, just like she knows she can. Regardless of whether or not Jillian's there and whether or not she's convinced that you're just trying out a phase by being with me." Richie's voice was happy, perky, and just a bit too much so. It was clear that he'd come to somewhat of the same conclusion Edward had, in that Jillian had 'designs' for him. Though she was in more of a position of power to do something about it...or make his mate's life miserable.

_Ah, so that's what has you so distressed._ The thought came as his mate spoke the words, before he simply leaned in, pressing his cool lips to his human mate's forehead. "Come here, love." He gently whispered to the wizard, swinging his legs up onto the couch to better hold what was his, as Richie readjusted himself to get comfortable and Edward did the same. And, when the human boy remained silent, he pressed another kiss to his mate's skin, before asking quietly, "Do you think I'm just trying out a phase?"

The response was instant. "No!" Richie told him forcefully, eyes wide like he was hurt by even the thought of the question. "No, I don't think you are!"

"Good." The vampire informed him quietly, yet firmly, amber eyes boring into chocolate."Because I'm not. I know you're undoubtedly going to hear people say that you 'turned' me or that I'm just satisfying some sort of curiosity by being with you. I'm not. What I am doing, Richie, is showing you that there is someone who can love you, treat you the way you deserve to be treated, fix the damage that's been done to you by others." A lone finger gently stroked a cheek with a feather-light touch. "Something that I won't be the only one trying to do."

"Alice and your mother will be, too." Richie agreed, with a small smile.

"And Emmett, and Rosalie. Jasper and Carlisle, as well." Edward added on, still idly stroking his adorable mate's skin lightly, amber eyes never leaving the brown staring back at him. "We all love you, in different ways, of course. Esme and Carlisle see you as a son. Emmett as the little brother he can pick on and make fun of. Alice as a friend. Jasper, though he may be quiet, cares about you, as well." He smiled a crooked smile. "And, then you have me..."

"Oh, please, you don't care about me as much as anyone else." Richie retorted with a scoff, trying to playfully downplay his importance in Edward's life.

"Do you think you're funny, hm?" Long fingers trailed down the human's face, affectionately touching his mate's jawline and neck, brushing the soft skin lightly.

Which is why the amber-eyed man went completely still when his mate jumped up, with a loud yelp and a cry of, "NO!"

Stunned for a moment into utter motionless, Edward simply stared at his mate, who had jumped up and moved nearly to the opposite side of the couch, hands splayed across his neck, eyes wide in...fear? Anticipation? Embarrassment? A combination of all three?

And then the pieces fell into place, a smirk gracing the vampire's lips as he began to chuckle. "You're _ticklish_!"

"_Don't_!" The word was out of Richie's mouth as abruptly as his reaction, as his bedroom haired boyfriend shifted into a sitting position. "Edward, I freaking _swear_, if you make so much as a _move_ toward me, I'll-."

"You'll _what_?" The question was a dare, a perfectly sculpted eyebrow raised as one of the vampire's hands came up, long fingers wriggling in the air teasingly at his mate.

"Edward, _no_!" Richie shrieked and raised a pillow, as if that would be any force to stop his boyfriend...even without his unknown supernatural strength. Almost immediately, the pillow was ripped away, Edward chuckling happily as he came to rest on his mate, lips attaching to his cheek playfully.

"Relax, love. You're safe." He reassured the adorably scared form of his mate, still curled into the opposite end of the couch they were resting on previously.

Richie hand's gripped his shoulders, long arms once again wrapping around his body gently. "R-Really? You're serious?" A dusting of pink coated his cheeks.

"I promise." His amber-eyed boyfriend answered him honestly, happily leaning in and kissing those pink cheeks, feeling the heat beneath his cool lips. One of Richie's hands worked it's way into his unkempt hair, tangling in the silk. "At least until you misbehave yourself..."

The reaction was as he expected, as Richie's head came to rest in his chest, as he chuckled happily, long fingers gently rubbing his mate's back.

* * *

"That was quick!"

It was only a scant twenty minutes later, and Richie was walking into his small bedroom, seeing Edward already propped up in bed and underneath the covers, both hands behind his head with a slight smirk on his face. And his human boyfriend had left him alone for less than five minutes, simply going to brush his teeth and use the facilities.

In truth, with his supernatural speed, the vampire needed less than thirty seconds. _Not that I'd tell him that._ "Purely selfish reasons for being so quick." The amber-eyed man replied lightly, honestly, still smirking.

"Oh?" Richie inquired with a raised eyebrow, shutting off the lamp situated on his dresser, leaving the room in dim light from a nightlight in the hallway. He slipped off his glasses, before following his boyfriend's lead, situating himself under the covers, mush like Edward had already done.

"Yes." His boyfriend answered him quietly, long arms already wrapping around him, bare thanks to him wearing a tanktop as his cover clothing for the night. "My boyfriend needs his sleep, and won't get in bed unless I'm here."

Even in the dim lighting, amber eyes caught brown blinking swiftly, as he knew his mate was struggling to come up with some form of a retort. "I would so!"

Letting a grin come to his face, Edward simply pressed a kiss to the wizard's forehead. "You fell asleep on the couch last night, Richie, because you didn't want to leave me." he pointed out honestly.

"I was comfortable." His human mate muttered, chastened.

"I also suggested you getting to sleep tonight, as well. Since you seemed perfectly content to stay awake all night and not mention a word of sleep." The bedroom-haired vampire's tone was slightly smug, finding it endlessly adorable, as well as admirable, when his mate tried to fight a losing battle, simply because he was too stubborn to admit he was wrong.

There was a pregnant beat, before Richie moved, face going into the middle of Edward's torso. "...shut up, you."

"I'm sorry, do I need to tickle you?" The vampire made his voice playfully evil, teasing him like his vampiric side would, before actually striking.

"**_NO!_**" Richie's response was immediate, much like it had been on the couch when he had first learned of his mate's human weakness just a short while ago.

And Edward simply lifted his mate's head out of his chest easily, happily placing a kiss onto those lips he adored so. "Then, behave."

"I always behave..." Richie muttered defiantly, snuggling closer to his boyfriend's body under the covers.

Choosing to let that comment go, Edward simply chuckled quietly, happily snuggling closer himself, holding his human boyfriend a bit closer to his cool body, long arms gently constricting around him. "You are _endlessly_ adorable..."

"And you're endlessly cold." Richie said in return, Edward hearing sleep already coming for his obviously-tired mate. "Why are you always so cold...?"

_If only you knew the real reason, love. I'd like to tell you, but I know I'll lose you when I do. And I'm selfish enough to want you around as long as I can._ "You know the old saying. Cold hands, warm heart." He remarked with a chuckle, face and voice giving nothing in his head away.

"Then, your heart is warmer than mine, because you're really cold, even your arms, Edward." Brown eyes were still open and focused, though lidding quickly, trying to focus on the amber gently watching their mate tumble into sleep.

The vampire shrugged, making a show of looking dismissive. "I usually am." He answered truthfully.

Richie simply snuggled closer to him in response, a sleepy little smile gracing his adorable face. "Maybe you just need an equally warm soul." The husky, sleepy tone was utterly adorable, but what melted Edward's unbeating heart was that his mate sounded completely convinced that that's all that it truly took.

_If that's all it took, my love, I'd never be cold again with you around._ The thought brought a wide smile to the amber-eyed man's face, so wide that he felt his cheeks hurting a bit. "Go to sleep, you." Long fingers gently began to stroke his love's back, running up and down lightly across the cloth of his nightshirt.

"Okay..." The voice of his mate, so small, so quiet, and so laced with sleep, made Edward chuckle happily. _So adorably stubborn..._

Edward simply watched his mate tumble into sleep, long fingers gently rubbing the human boy's back as he cradled him against his hard chest. Once he was certain his mate wouldn't hear him, he gently pressed a kiss into Richie's dark hair, whispering three words to his slumbering mate.

"I love you."

* * *

_**More notes: Pure Richward fluff. It's about time the boys had some relatively non-angsty time together! See you soon, dear readers!**_


	21. Three Days

Chapter 20 - Three Days

Author's Notes: I own nothing, save for the storyline, mistakes, and Richie.

_Thoughts and phone conversations are in italics._

* * *

There was a soft grunt from the slumbering form of his mate as his shoulder was nudged gently, the sound making Edward chuckle, because the vampire didn't need to be able to read his mate's mind to know what he was thinking.

_Someone's being stubborn already._ The amber-eyed man thought to himself, still smiling as he repeated the motion, getting a louder grunt, mixed with a bit of a whine this time. "Love..." He mumbled gently, though he knew Richie could hear it. "...it's time to wake up."

"No." The response was immediate, as Richie shifted, seeming to bury himself under the covers more.

"Yes." Edward's hands went to his mate's shoulders, gripping lightly as he leaned in close to whisper into his mate's ear. "You have one more morning left, and then you can sleep in all you'd like for the next two days, I promise." A kiss was placed to the lobe of the exposed ear, and he felt his mate shiver from the action.

However, it wasn't enough to really scramble his mate's thoughts this time. "I'd rather have no mornings left..." He whined out, clearly not in any sort of mood to move.

The tone of voice made Edward chuckle once more, a grin coming to his face. "I know, love. But, it's Friday, and you have the entire weekend to look forward to."

"Except for Saturday, I have work. And not with Julia." Richie's voice _clearly_ told Edward exactly who he'd be sharing his workday with.

The thought of his mate working with that girl made Edward frown a bit, before an idea popped into his head. "I'm sure Esme wouldn't mind you spending the night on Saturday, and spending the day on Sunday. She misses you, you know. So do Alice and Emmett, as they've never really seen you outside of school."

"Well, of course not. I'm either working, or being held hostage by their brother." The playful little smile told Edward his mate was fully awake now.

"I haven't heard you complain." The vampire leaned into his mate's face, happily leaning closer as he did, lips getting dangerously close to his...as amber eyes watched brown become unfocused a bit.

Just before three things happened at once, Richie jerked just a bit, and the vampire's cell phone went off with a call.

Letting out a frustrated growl too low for Richie's human ears to hear, Edward turned, picking up the annoying device from it's resting place on the nightstand, right next to his love's eyewear. He didn't even need to check the caller id. "Alice, good morning. Is there something I can do for you?"

_"The weather's going to be sunny for the next few days."_

This time, the vampire couldn't hold back some form of onomatopoeia, both to let his own frustrations out and let his mate know something was going on. "How many days?"

_"All weekend, starting tomorrow morning."_

And the thought of leaving his mate made him grit his teeth together, venom bubbling in the back of his throat as his vampiric side made it's thoughts on the matter known. However, right now, there was no other option. "Alright. I'll be home early tomorrow morning."

_"Okay."_ Her voice, which had remained calm throughout the entire exchange, softened considerably. _"He'll be fine. I've already seen the two of you on Monday morning, kissing in the parking lot of school."_

The amber-eyed man laughed a bit, because he could see him and his mate doing the exact same thing, a hand coming up to run through his bedroom hair, mussed already to make it look like he slept, before he ended his sister's call.

"Something wrong?" His mate's quiet voice came from next to him, sitting up in his own bed now, a warm hand coming to rest on his bare bicep.

_Not now, love._ The thought came through the vampire's head, but he didn't voice it as he turned his amber gaze to the orbs of chocolate staring back at him. "Not really, love. It's just that my family and I are going on a camping trip tomorrow and Sunday."

"Oh." His mate's voice was slightly surprised, before he smiled a bit. "Okay."

Once again, Edward ran a hand through his bronze hair, feeling the need to explain himself. "The weather's going to be nice. Sunny, in particular. As I'm sure you've noticed, Forks doesn't get many of those days. We tend to take advantage of them when we get them." The lie came smoothly off his lips, telling it in different languages for a century made it easy. It was the guilt he felt of lying to his mate that was the difficult part.

"Okay." Once again, it was all Richie had said. Until his warm hand trailed down his boyfriend's bare arm, coming to tangle with his long fingers, Edward happily allowing the contact. "Then, I hope you have fun with them, Edward."

His vampire boyfriend leaned in, touching his forehead to that of his mate. "You really don't mind that our plans got shelved again?"

"How could I?" Richie answered the question with one of his own. "They ended up being shelved first because of something on my end. Now they get shelved because of something on yours. It's no big deal, Edward. I'll get to your house eventually. It's not like it's going to sprout legs and walk away, or Esme's going to give up having me over if she misses me as much as she does."

"So understanding." Long fingers gently squeezed the hand they were entwined with, as Edward gently pressed a kiss to his mate's nose, before pulling back to gaze at his mate, concern in his amber gaze. "Are you sure you'll be alright, love? I mean, I can come back-"

"If you say you'll be back Sunday night, I'll smack you." Richie threatened him, as if a simple smack from a human boy would be enough to harm the amber-eyed man. If anything, he'd probably break his hand slapping me. "Go and spend time with your family, I've been taking too much of your time away from that as it is. And I'll be fine, I have work Saturday night with Jillian the Slave Driver, and I'll see if Julia or Serena want to hang out on Sunday. Serena mentioned something about taking me out to lunch, anyway."

Edward simply chuckled, knowing all too well that the Japanese girl wanted to take his kindhearted mate out. "You make a few good points, love. How can I argue with them?" A chaste peck was placed to his mate's lips.

"You can't, because I'm just so amazing." Richie said so seriously that the vampire laughed happily, shoving him to the unmade bed and silencing him with his lips.

* * *

School seemed to fly by, as opposed to how it usually was when Edward was trapped within it's walls. The vampire lounged in his room at the Cullens', lost in his own thoughts as his mate was looking into joining chorus, and then treating himself to dinner. He knew the reason as to why the day sped by so quickly, because he had something he wasn't particularly looking forward to: leaving his mate. He knew that Richie could take care of himself, he knew that for an absolute fact, but the mating bond he shared with the unsuspecting human boy made him want to protect him, shield him from anyone and anything that could cause him harm. Leaving him would drive him (and the rest of his family, if he had to hazard a guess) utterly mad, madder than when he was trying to figure out just why the other boy was so intriguing. Richie was a klutz, he had admitted such a thing, and wondering if he would hurt himself was already driving the amber-eyed vampire up the wall.

Though, Alice _did_ say that he'd be fine, that they'd see each other on Monday, lips attached to each other in the middle of the school's parking lot. However, her predictions didn't always come true, the future was always changing.

"_Fuck._" The unusual word slid past the vampire's lips, a hand coming to tangle in his bronze hair in frustration as his thoughts got the better of him.

"You're gonna have to take that up with him, bro, not me."

The deep voice made him open his eyes, the amber gaze sliding over to take in the form of Emmett, the hulking vampire leaning against the doorway with a smirk on his face. "How long have you been there?"

Emmett shrugged in response. "Awhile. Just wanted to see how long it'd take you to realize you weren't alone." He smirked once more, his own amber eyes twinkling a bit. "Though if I knew you were having _those_ kinds of thoughts, I would've left sooner."

Edward's amber eyes went flat. "Do you see me having any sort of response like that?" He simply shot back in return.

Emmett's smirk turned into a grin. "Not yet. Maybe you didn't get that far."

"And maybe you're just a pervert." The lanky vampire returned frankly, rolling his own amber eyes.

The hulking vampire didn't even bother to deny that, knowing it to be true. "Don't tell me you haven't thought about it, Ed. Him under you, hearin' him like that, seeing him watching _everything_-"

"Are you trying to make me hard?" Edward's frank voice cut into Emmett's attempts to try and get him to visualize just what he wanted to finally happen to his youngest brother.

"Is it workin'?" He didn't bother to answer the question, instead firing back with one of his own, still grinning happily.

Edward didn't really want to answer that, mainly because he'd been having a few thoughts that he didn't want his mate (or anyone else) knowing about. They weren't x-rated or anything particularly graphic, but natural curiosity. Wondering just how that would be, his mate under him, writhing, gasping, eyes dark with desire and watching his every move, as Edward did the same, hovering over him, in control of his mate.

"Do you both mind?"

The light Southern drawl brought him out of his thoughts, making him realize that he had zoned out once again, if Emmett's wide grin was anything to go by, arms crossed across his broad chest. Though, this time it was more obvious, as Jasper had come up, alerted by the feelings he was more than likely sensing, as well as the venom burning in the back of his throat.

"Hey, I'm not the one thinking dirty things about topping my mate." Emmett defended himself, though kept his arms across his chest.

"You're always thinking like that about Rosalie, we've just gotten so used to it that we ignore it." The tinkling voice came from behind the both of them, Alice gracefully dancing between the two of them.

If Edward were human, there was no doubt he'd be as red as his mate by now. "Am I really _that_ obvious?" His voice was strained a bit, looking at his three siblings assembled in the doorway to his personal space.

"Yeah." Emmett answered the question immediately, while Jasper simply nodded silently.

"And the vision I just had of Richie isn't going to help you stop thinking about him." Alice told him softly. "In the worrying sense, not in the..." She coughed lightly. "..._other_ way."

Brought back to his other thoughts of worrying over his mate, the vampire's face went into his hands. "Should I ask? Or should I just read you?"

"Why don't we go and see for ourselves?" Alice's smile was coy, making Edward, as well as Emmett and Jasper, wonder just what was going on.


	22. Richie the Terminator

_**Chapter 21 - Richie the Terminator**_

_**Author's Notes: Okay, since I now have my two major stories evened out as far as chapters go, I'm going to start updating both at once. This means updates will likely occur less frequently, but I also don't want to make it seem like I'm favoring one story over another. Barring any sudden brainstorms/writer's block, this is how my update schedule will go until further notice. I own nothing, save for the storyline, the mistakes, Richie, Julia, Serena, and a new character I'm about to introduce.**_

_Thoughts are in italics._

* * *

Richie sighed happily as he walked along the streets of Forks, feeling that the whole asking to join choir thing had gone well. Meaning that, though he had yet to sing a note, he was in as far as the teacher was concerned. Plus, he also knew that he at least had Julia and Serena in the after school activity, as well. Maybe it'd be a chance for him to get to know both girls, outside of school and work, that is.

Though, his happiness was dampened a bit by the fact Edward was leaving for a bit. He'd told his boyfriend that he was fine with him leaving to spend time with his family, and he was. The selfish part of him still wanted him to be around. But, he wasn't the stereotypical jealous boyfriend, trying to desperately suck him way from everything else in his life, family included. His bedroom-haired boyfriend had his own life, as did he, and they needed time apart from each other, as much as they did together.

As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. The thought came to the wizard's mind, as a wry smile came to his lips. He was certain that he didn't Edward leaving to make his heart grow fonder, but he would definitely be looking forward to his return on Monday. He also had wouldn't take no for an answer as far as having his boyfriend spend the night Monday night, either. Of course, he had a feeling Edward wouldn't be entirely against the idea, either...

Looking up, he sighed lowly, feeling a light drizzle start up. Unable to take care of the problem with magic made him slightly annoyed, because he could see the sign of the restaurant he was heading to for dinner, a local hangout for the high schoolers simply called The Kitchen. It was a diner, that much was true about it, but the specials made it different, in that it had a different themed night every day. Today was Asian, and his natural curiosity when it came to food made him want to see what they had to offer.

_Though, if they have sushi, I'm running in the opposite direction._

He grinned a bit at his own thought, because it was nothing but the truth. He'd also been slightly thankful that Edward hadn't taken him out on a real date yet, though he was also itching to change that soon. He didn't want to end up going somewhere where there wouldn't be anything he'd like, namely a seafood restaurant, for he'd had a bad run-in with seafood three years ago that had him in the emergency room with severe food poisoning. Since then, he'd avoided most seafood like the plague. It struck him a bit that he hadn't told Edward of that yet. Of course, favorite food and such smaller topics hadn't come up with them yet. Now that he thought about it, he really hadn't seen his boyfriend eat very much at all...

_Eh. Maybe he's just on a diet or something. He can't look that good without some help._

Of course, the human boy had yet to see Edward with his shirt completely off, but if the amber-eyed man's arms were anything to go by, then his torso certainly wasn't going to disappoint very much. _It doesn't feel like it will, either..._

The thoughts of Edward shirtless made him grin happily, so much that he didn't even notice the rain picking up slightly, something that would have made him use his magic to keep himself dryer than most ordinary humans, or the four pale figures following him silently. One impossibly muscular. One blond and tall. One short and pixie-like. And the final with a head of hair he'd recognize immediately.

* * *

"I didn't realize she wasn't exactly into dick."

The high, very grating voice, of one Jessica Stanley, as one girl giggled happily, while the other just looked uncomfortable, though not as uncomfortable as their tormented victim. Her long black hair was obscuring her face, her soda untouched before her as a second one sat less full, clearly marking a place setting for another person who had vacated the table.

"Jess, really, you know Julia's not-"

"Shut up, Alicia. I mean, she probably can't even understand us." The bobble-headed wench snapped at the blonde girl in a Forks High hoodie, her blue eyes filling with ire behind glasses at the remark. It was one thing to gossip about Serena Kyoshi behind her back, but it was another thing entirely to just walk up to her and start accosting her, especially after the very same girl the blonde, Alicia, mentioned had gotten up to use the restroom. Leaning in close to the object of her bullying, she spoke slowly and deliberately. "You. Like. Girls? Vagina. Make. Horny?"

Serena, for her part, didn't bother looking up, instead choosing to stare at the table before her. Her mouth was a thin line, stalwartly choosing to ignore Jessica's cruel comments.

Unfortunately, it only seemed to add more fuel to the other girl's fire. "You. Understand? Speak. Slower?"

"Oh, good, I'm glad to see you're finally embracing your natural IQ."

Jessica simply glared at the returning form of Julia LaRoque, the other female's gaze just as stony as her own. She simply scoffed, as Alicia giggled a bit, rolling her eyes. "Um, _actually_, I'm trying to talk to your Chinese friend."

"She's _Japanese_, get your facts right, airhead." Julia retorted without missing a beat, taking her seat across Serena and giving her a reassuring smile...or one that she hoped was reassuring. "Are you okay?"

Serena nodded simply, giving the girl across from her her fully attention, as well as a smile. "Yes." She answered her honestly. Which is entirely more than Jessica got.

"Oh, sure. Just utterly ignore us when I'm trying to be nice, when I'm trying to figure out what you like so that I can give you some fashion tips." Jessica sounded so sincere, so full of good intent. Her little crony simply giggled as Alicia simply rolled her eyes, her expression screaming that she had no idea why she was staying around...only for her expression to go shockingly alert when the door opened.

The other girls simply didn't take note of her expression, or who she was staring at. "And did she say she wanted fashion tips from the school whore?" Julia simply asked the annoying girl in return, eyebrow raised in a challenge.

"Oh please, _everyone_ could use some tips from me. After all, my style's awesome!" Jessica giggled happily, as if everyone else knew that to be true. "And if I could find out what she was into, maybe I could help her snag someone. Really, it's a favor. So..." She leaned into Serena again, the Japanese girl's eyes going from Jessica to the table again. "...Boy? Girl?"

"So, ripping your skanky ass to shreds over a family I didn't even know at the time wasn't enough? You want me to do it when you're after one of my friends?"

Alicia simply smiled coldly, as the other girls' heads whirled to the entrance. Because, Richie Taylor stood there, any and all traces of his former good mood thinking about his boyfriend gone, replaced with calmness that should have been unnerving to anyone around. Especially Jessica.

Unfortunately, the girl was too much of a dunce to realize to shut her mouth.

* * *

Outside the establishment, the four vampires each grinned, the bronze-haired one more savagely than all of them.

"I thought you might like to see this." Alice said coyly, though her pride was evident for her brother's human mate, as well as her brother himself for picking such a kindhearted one.

"Hell yeah I do!" Emmett happily intoned, already putting his supernatural hearing to good use in listening over the conversation.

"Thank you." Edward's voice was earnest, as he tapped into the minds of the assembled girls, the ones on his mate's side, as well as the insipid girl's. He wasn't going to miss what they had to say.

_Oh, this is gonna be good. Dinner and a show. And if he stays, I'm paying his bill._ Julia's tone was smug, and she just sat back, grabbing her soda as she waited for the entertainment to start.

_Thank you. So very much. Now I owe you much more._ Serena's thought was quiet, much like the Japanese girl herself, but her gratitude was evident for his mate.

_Oh, please, you're gay. Even you have to admit she's dresses like a frump._ Edward rolled his amber eyes at Jessica's thought, because everyone that wasn't her, Rosalie, or someone she wanted to have sex with she thought dressed like a frump. "I was just trying to help her wardrobe out."

"It doesn't look like you're in a clothing store, dipshit. In fact, it looks like you're trying to 'help' her by telling her these things, very scathingly, if I had to guess, in a crowded restaurant." His human mate's voice was scathing, and the amber-eyed man didn't need to be in the restaurant to know the expression on his face would be one of fury.

_What does scathingly mean?_ "Look, you're gay, even you have to admit that her wardrobe needs an update."

"Last I checked, Serena, or any of my friends for that matter, aren't some side show for you and your little cronies to judge and stare at. Okay?" The last word was clipped and terse.

"Not judging." _At least not much._ "Just trying to see what we can do to help her wardrobe."

"How about liking her the way she is? Since not everyone has to dress half naked to get a man's attention, despite what you might think."

There were two distinct quiet laughs, one from Julia, and the other a high pitched giggle, from Alicia. _Looks like someone's not as on your side as she says, Jessica. Serves you right._ The thought happily made it's way through Edward's head.

_Will you **shut up**, Alicia?!_ "Oh, like you'd know that. Since I bet you haven't even let Edward Cullen see you with your shirt off!" _And I bet you haven't._

_That bitch._ At his name being thrown into the girl's tirade, Edward immediately began to growl, far too low of any passing humans, though there were none at this time, to hear. _I love him for his personality, something you wouldn't have any idea of._ Of course, Edward had to admit that it was getting to be more than the other male's personality. He'd been fighting the urge to have his hands start wandering a bit when they kissed, lest he frighten his mate off.

_But, he doesn't need to know that right now._

There was a distinct scoff from the human boy's mouth. "You know, you would burst a brain cell if you had to think about something other than nudity. I bet you're going to have your next conquest, poor bastard, tear your skimpy little volleyball outfit off in the back seat of his car. Am I right?"

_Holy** shit!**_ Julia's thought raced, just before she burst out laughing loudly.

_The sad part is that he's right, and he hasn't been here very long._ Alicia's thought came through loud and clear, as well, hints of smug amusement in her own voice.

_I-I...how did he...does he like to **watch** or something?!_ Jessica's thoughts raged, while her mouth was suspiciously quiet.

"You know what? Don't even answer that." He heard the smile in his mate's voice at this next sentence. "Because you're gonna need that last brain cell to find your way back to your table."

Julia just laughed so hard that she snorted, and Serena's own quiet laughter was able to be heard, as well. Even one of Jessica's supposed friends, Alicia, was struggling not to laugh, as well. Edward didn't realize he was chuckling happily until he got a nudge from a widely-grinning Emmett.

"Still think your boy can't take care of himself?"


	23. The Calm

**_Chapter 22 - The Calm..._**

**_Author's Notes: I own nothing, save for the mistakes, the storyline, Richie, Julia, Serena, and Alicia._**

_Thoughts are in italics._

* * *

Edward didn't even have to answer Emmett's question verbally. The pride on his face for his mate was evident, and he knew Richie could very well take care of and fend for himself. However, his hulking brother did forget about Richie needing his sleep, so the question was going to have to be answered, regardless. "I know he can take care of himself. I just don't want to let him out of my sight. You must remember seeing Rosalie for the first time, how you and her never wanted to be apart."

"I never want to be apart from her now." Leave it to Emmett to be a smartass.

"You know what I mean." The youngest vampire snapped a bit, rolling his eyes at Emmett's ability to make everything into a joke.

The hulking vampire's face softened considerably, his jovial grin melting into a genuine grin. "Yeah, bro. I do. And trust me when I say, that feeling's never gonna go away."

Edward blinked twice at his older brother's sudden change of mood, though he couldn't but feel genuinely touched. Even jokester Emmett had a serious side.

"Shall we make an entrance?" Alice cut in lightly, knowing full well that her youngest brother wanted to do such a thing. "Though I don't know why I'm asking, Edward. You're going to go in there with or without us." _After all, I just saw it._

The bedroom-haired male rolled his eyes, seeing Emmett's grin return, as well as a slightly smug look from Jasper and Alice's coy smile. He couldn't deny that he wanted to go inside, be with his mate after such a display, and his peevish look disappeared, being replaced by the tender, and downright happy one, he felt when his human mate entered his thoughts. "Let's go."

* * *

Richie watched as Jessica simply flounced off, her one crony in tow, while blonde Alicia Myers simply stood where she stayed, watching him with a hawk's eye. "Mind if I join you?" she asked him, with a smile.

He considered this. Alicia wasn't much older than him, or Serena. And she was in chorus, along with Julia. It couldn't hurt to invite her to stay for a bit, especially since she was one of the ones who actually tried to get Jessica to stop. "Sure, Alicia." With a smile, he tilted his head toward the table Julia and Serena sat. "Come on."

And, before he was even in his seat, Julia was already on him. "That was awesome!" She looked about ready to dive across the table and tackle him in a hug.

Next to him, Serena was simply smiling widely, though her usual shyness was evident. "Thank you so much." She informed the male quietly, her eyes earnest and kind. "Now, I owe you twice. One for the diet soda, and now for this."

Once again, Richie began to protest, simply too polite to accept the offer. "Oh, Serena, no, you don't owe me-"

And he would have continued, if a pair of cool lips hadn't pressed against one of his ears, before he heard that velvet chuckle. "You'll have to forgive him, Serena. He's too kind for his own good sometimes."

Already feeling a light tinge of pink in his cheeks, Richie turned around to be met with the amber eyes of his boyfriend, an amused little smirk on his face. As well as Alice's smiling face, Emmett grinning widely himself, and Jasper, looking silent and imposing as per usual. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Just out for a bite to eat, before we head on the camping trip tomorrow." Alice chirped.

Edward's smirk only grew. _If only he knew..._ "And I saw you in here." He added onto the cover story his sister put out, though it would be the truth in a short time.

"You can probably guess why we stopped by after hearing that." Emmett's deep voice was full of amusement, his amber eyes flicking to his youngest brother, who simply rolled his eyes but didn't rise to the bait.

Instead, he turned to the other girls seated at the table. "Julia, Serena. It's nice to see you both." He greeted them pleasantly. And he would be pleasant, for they were both on his mate's side and were obvious friends to him.

_Oh, it's always nice to see you and your delicious ass._ Coughing quietly at what the vampire assumed was her own thought, she smiled happily. "It's nice to see you, too." She answered him, her voice wavering a bit.

_Yes, definitely unnerved by her thoughts._ Edward smiled in amusement, though it wouldn't show on his face, as he turned to Serena, the Japanese girl smiling widely herself.

"It is very good to see you, as well." Her words were genuine, and she had no malicious or sexual thoughts at all. _Richie is lucky to have someone like him._

The fact that they were about the boy currently seated in front of him made him smile more, turning quietly to Alicia, who sat in her seat stone-faced. _I know what you are._

And after that, her mind went just as silent as Richie's, leaving Edward to squeeze the wood of his mate's chair so hard that it would have snapped had Alice not placed a hand on his shoulder.

_I didn't see that! How could she know that about us?_ Her eyes were wide to his sight, her thoughts frantic, but to the humans sitting at the table, nothing would be amiss. _Do you think she told-_

"No, he would've said something. He wouldn't keep something like that bottled in, not when it's about me. Himself, yes, because he's a private person, but not about me." The words were too low, and fast, for any of the others without supernatural hearing to hear.

"Are you **_sure_**?" The question from Alice was serious, low, and nearly a hiss.

And her youngest brother nodded, his amber eyes never leaving her own. "He's told me things about himself that you don't even know, simply because he and I are together." He watched as her eyes narrowed, but she didn't say anything. "And I know there's more to the story, because he hasn't told me what he is."

"Chances are, Alicia's the same thing he is." The observation came from the smallest of the family.

"But, we don't know what that is." Jasper's accented tone cut in, trying his best to lower the tension between brother and sister. "Hush up, they're getting suspicious."

"Hey." There was a warm hand placed on his chest, making him turn to be met with concerned brown orbs. "Is something wrong?"

"Mm...maybe he heard something he didn't want to hear." Alicia cut in smoothly with an answer, giggling a little bit.

Edward's amber eyes flicked to her for the briefest of moments, as the monster in him began to rear it's head. Protect him. _Shield him. Love him. Not yours. **Mine.**_

"Edward, we have to go, remember? We have to finish packing." Alice's voice, smoothly letting the excuse roll off her tongue, cut into the thoughts racing through his head, allowing himself to come back from his anger at the blonde human girl.

"Right, I forgot." The vampire shook his head, running a hand through his bedroom hair as he blew out a sigh of frustration. _Richie will interpret it as leaving, when that's only half the reason._

"That seems to happen a lot when you get around this small fry." Emmett cut in with a grin, an arm extending toward his mate, making the human in question blush.

And Edward was grateful for it, the redness in the other male's cheeks. It grounded him a bit more, reminded him not to hold onto his anger, what with the soft and delicate human right before him, getting out of his seat. "Shut up." He spared his brother nearly half a glance, before focusing fully on the warm hands linking with his own.

"Are you _sure_ you're alright?" Richie's voice was full of concern, his head tilted to one side as chocolate eyes bored into amber.

_No, love, I'm not. You're so close to finding out what I am, even though you don't know it yet. One wrong move and someone else could tell you everything before I gather up the strength to do it myself._ "I'm fine, love. I'll see you later tonight." The vampire's voice was less smooth than usual, the strain of lying to his mate once again, as he leaned in and kissed his mate lovingly. He felt Richie let his hands go, warmth splaying along his back as his hands went there, before sliding up to the bare skin on the back of his neck. He sighed happily at the warm hands gently massaging the cool, bare skin, making him release a sigh into his mate's mouth that was practically a purr.

Pulling back, he had to admit that he felt marginally better than before he kissed his mate, smiling at him warmly before he kissed him on the nose. "I mean it, I'll be over later."

And before he let his mate go, he couldn't help a slight glare at the blonde, who was watching him with a small smile. One that he could've swore was just a bit smug.

* * *

Sufficiently stuffed on a burger and fries, one that Julia wasn't going to let him pay for even with a gun to his head, Richie ended up walking inside his house and flopping to the couch just as night began to fall. He realized on the walk back to his home that he hadn't said anything to Edward as far as a time to come over, and had sent a text to his boyfriend telling him to come over whenever he wanted.

He half expected to see Edward out front when he got home. After all, the amber-eyed man had a habit of surprising him.

It see,ed that as soon as he thought that, he heard a knock on his door, letting a grin come to his face immediately as he got up off the couch and went to answer it.

"Do you read minds or something, because I was just thinking-"

"I don't read them, yet, because I'm not strong enough. Neither are you. But, I know your boyfriend does."

It wasn't Edward on his doorstep. It was the smiling face of Alicia Myers.

* * *

_**Author's Notes: I've had a few people ask me when the big reveal was going to happen between our boys. It's getting much closer, dear readers! See you soon!**_


	24. Before the Storm

**_Chapter 23 - ...Before the Storm_**

**_Author's Notes: I own nothing, Save for the mistakes, the storyline, and Alicia._**

_Thoughts are in italics._

* * *

"What?"

It wasn't the most intelligent response he could come up with, he knew that, some part of him knew that. However, given that his biggest secret had just been said straight to his face by someone he hardly knew, who also seemed to be like him and had information on his boyfriend he didn't even know about...yeah, it was really all he could say right now. In fact, he was lucky that came out at all.

Alicia, for her part, didn't sppear bothered by the male's gobsmacked reaction. Lord knows mine hadn't been much better. "Yeah, I know, it's a lot." The smile she wore dropped a bit, became softer. Like she understood what she was about to put him through.

Mouth and brain once more syncing up. _Secret revealed. Best course of action: run. Second best: act like an idiot._ "No, I mean, what are you saying? Edward reads minds. You can do it with practice, and I'm not strong enough...what?"

And just like that, Alicia's smile hardened a bit more. "Don't give me that. You know damn well what I'm talking about. You're a wizard, so am I, and Edward's a vampire."

"_**WHAT?!**_" This time, the male didn't have to fake confusion at the blonde girl's words, his eyes going wide and his jaw going slack.

The girl blinked twice, confusion setting into the hardness on her own features. "_What_ what? I'm a witch, you're a wizard, and Edward's a-"

"Don't!" The singke word was said with so much ferocity that the girl took a step back. "Don't say the word."

Alicia looked ready to protest, but remained silent, gnawing on her lip.

It took Richie a several seconds, almost a minute, really, to gather his thoughts. "Okay, Alicia. I barely know you, I'm going to say that much right now. And I don't know how in the hell you came up with the delusion that I'm a wizard, that you are too, or that my boyfriend is a creature of the undead. Do you have some sick fantasy or something that you need to play out? Include people you barely know just because we're already pretty much outcasts?"

_Wow. You're really that desperate to hang onto this, aren't you?_ "Oh, it's not sick, it's real. And, correct me if I'm wrong, you've been deflecting. You've been throwing out everything that I'm the bad guy, that they're all my delusional fantasies, and yet you've already proven that you believe me." The girl's tone was smug, her smile the same, as she stood on his porch, blue eyes a alight behind glasses, blonde hair hanging just above her shoulders, in a Forks High hoodie, jeans, and sneakers. She looked so innocent, believing every word she was saying.

"**_How?_**" The word was spat out, Richie natural response when he was cornered, push everyone away.

"You haven't refused any of it."

His voice, so smooth, came from seemingly literally nowhere, as one second it was just him and Alicia, and then there was Edward next to the girl, still in the clothes he wore earlier, with a backpack slung over his shoulders.

"What he said." Alicia said honestly, hooking a thumb at the tall amber-eyed man next to her.

Richie's brain was going a mile a minute, staring at nothing but the form of his boyfriend, his jaw slack. _I-How did he...Sh-She's not...there's **no possible** way..._

Amber eyes were soft, nearly liquid in their attempt to soothe the object of their now-eternal desire. "It's true, love. I don't know how she knows, and I intend to find out..." The next words had a slight growl to them, as well as a glare to the human girl next to him, but his attention quickly went back to his mate. "...but what she says is true. I am what she says."

"N-No! Edward, you're _not_! Y-You _can't_ be a-" His mouth hung open, unable to even say the word. "I-I mean, it's just not possible!"

"Think about it." Edward told him gently, but still with an unspoken command. "_Everything_ about me pulls you in. My clothes. My appearance. Even my smell. Why do you think that is?"

His mate was shaking his head, eyes wide, not with fear, but the truth. "Stop."

But, the vampire didn't listen, instead continuing forward, his becoming low, almost...seductive. Like he was trying to show his mate who he really was. "I'm pale as a ghost. I live in one of the most sunless places in the United States. I can hear things very easily, you commented on it once. I'm hard, solid, something else I'm sure you've noticed. I move with an effortless grace, sure to be seen and noticed."

Richie couldn't listen to it. He'd noticed it all, every single thing Edward had mentioned about himself. But, instead of repulsing him, it had drawn him in, sucked him in, refusing to let him go. Wanting to get away, he turned, intent on shutting the girl and...man...outside his house.

Only to gasp in shock as he felt a pale hand holding the door with enough force that he couldn't even move it one inch. It was like pushing it against a wall. "I'm incredibly fast. And strong."

He tried to run, and he only made it a half a step before two arms were around him, holding him tight against an equally hard chest, the binds like iron chains. "Edward, let _go_ of me!"

"I can't do that, love. I won't. Not until you face this. You're not going to run away from from this, I selfishly care about you too much to let you." The words were whispered into his ear, cool breath fanning against it. It might as well have been a fog that trailed directly inside his head, because he felt his mind getting fuzzy, going blank. Even then, he could still hear Edward's voice before the blackness took him.

"You're my mate, and I should've told you this before now."

* * *

"Mm..."

He groaned, coming around as he stared at the blurry ceiling of his own bedroom. It was dark out, much darker than earlier. He'd just fallen asleep, that's all. He'd come home, stuffed from his meal at The Kitchen with Julia, Serena, and...Alicia and ended up falling into a food coma. Food had made him had odd dreams before, that's all the earlier conversation was.

"I wasn't sure you'd still want me here, but I had to make sure you woke up, love."

Jumping up into a sitting position at the quiet, velvety voice, everything came flooding back. _No. It wasn't._

Because Edward was sitting in his chair, amber eyes staring at nothing but him. And it looked like he'd been there for quite some time.

Edward. His...**vampire**...boyfriend.

"Do you eat all of your victims when they're awake?" The question was out before his mind could stop it, and once it registered, he simply let it stay between them.

Edward, for his part, looked genuinely hurt by the question his mate lobbied at him. "I don't...eat...people. And I'd **_never_** eat you."

Chocolate became solid, not like the milk softness that was usually in the orbs before him. "No, you just lie to me and make me think you're human when you're not."

The amber in the man's eyes was quickly hardening, becoming solid in his own anger. The fact that his mate could be angry at him for keeping a such a thing secret, when he did the exact same thing. "Last I checked, _you_ weren't exactly human, either."

"Hey, I still am human! Just...different. Not normal...just different."

Edward watched the anger and fight leech out of his mate like water at that statement like saying those words had triggered something inside him. He remained still sitting on his bed, half under the covers. He wanted to go to him, comfort him, hold him like he usually did. Will he ever let me do it again? "Love...I'm sorry for not telling you sooner..." The sentiment was inadequate. He felt like he should do more, say more, try to get his mate's forgiveness in any way he possibly could.

But, he's not like that. Doing anything like that will just push him away more.

With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, the vampire realized that if his mate couldn't get past this. Couldn't get past not only a secret like this, but also wrapping his head around his vampirism, then he would have to leave. As heartbroken as he would be about it, he would have to leave his love behind him. It would be the only way for him to move on, find someone that could and would be worthy of him and who he is.

Nearly shaking with the realization, the vampire got up and walked to his mate, long hands gently cupping either side of his beautiful boy's face, those brown eyes moist with an emotional war. Love. Betrayal. Sadness. Anger. Hurt. And Edward himself had put it there by holding onto his secret for too long, only for his mate to be stung by hearing it from someone else. "I love you..." He whispered to the broken human in front of him, the one he'd love for the rest of his existence.

The words Richie whispered back made him want to rip himself apart, set himself aflame, anything to never heard them again, or the sheer amount of hurt in his mate's voice.

"Let me be for now."


	25. Food for Thought

**_Chapter 24 - Food for Thought_**

**_Author's Notes: I love all of you dear readers, and I thank you for not staging a Richward revolt and stringing me up by my toes for the last chapter. I own nothing, save for the mistakes, the storyline, Richie, Julia, and Serena._**

_Thoughts and phone conversations are in italics._

* * *

He wasn't sure what the worst part was. Telling Edward to let him be and numbly watching him simply do it. Attempting to fall asleep with all of the thoughts coursing through his brain. Finally falling into a bleak and dreamless sleep, thanks to sheer exhaustion. Or waking up, tangled in his bedsheets, utterly and completely alone. If he had to hazard a guess, it would be the last one, since waking up to an empty bed is what made him finally break down and start crying.

_Just another failed relationship. Another person that hurt me by keeping a secret, after he told me he wouldn't do such a thing._

It seemed to be a repeat of his parents, of Justin, or simply getting hurt again. Edward had hurt him, just like his parents had when they threw him out because of his sexuality. Or when Justin had gone out and cheated on him, simply because he wanted to wait to have sex and his ex boyfriend didn't. Except, this time, Edward didn't really leave him or toss him to the side. He told the...vampire...to leave. He even stayed after he fainted, and more than likely even carried him to bed, despite knowing his human mate wouldn't want him to.

He'd been at war with himself pretty much all morning. Torn between sticking to his guns and keeping Edward at arm's length, or between letting him in and talking to him again, letting him explain just...what he really was. After all, being a vampire wasn't something someone just springs on another person, just like being a wizard isn't something that gets sprung, either. But, then, it also raised the other question.

_If Alicia knew, then did Edward know, as well? And if he did, then why not bring it up?_

So many questions, so few answers. The stress of overthinking it was giving him a headache. On top of that, he had work later on tonight, as well. _With Jillian, no less. Wonderful._

There was nothing more the wizard wanted to do than stay in bed all freaking day. But, he also knew that once Julia and/or Serena got word of Richie breaking up with Edward, because he had no doubt that was how the story was going to be told, they'd be nearly knocking down his door to see him. Knowing Julia, she might actually outright do it, too.

As if on cue, his phone buzzed with a call from Julia.

_I don't want to do this. Don't pick up. Ignore it. Let it go._ All of these thoughts went through his head as he picked up his phone and hit the green button, pressing it to his ear. "What's up?"

_"You. Me. Serena. Lunch at The Kitchen. Serena's treat."_ The other girl's tone of voice made it clear that the request wasn't a request at all. it was a command.

Rolling his brown eyes skyward, the boy rubbed at his forehead, feeling his headache becoming worse. "Julia, I'm not really up to-"

"You're coming. Call it a girls' day, worse comes to worse, we'll tie you up, throw you in the trunk, and drive up to Port Angeles."

_Like hell you will._ "We're not gonna go that far, Julia."

"Oh, yeah, we will. You need to get out and feel better, since your magic's tied to your emotions. Keep this up, you'll end up firing a spell off you never knew you could do with no way to stop it."

_Seriously?! Julia, too?!_ Gathering his thoughts after this new development, he just sighed loudly, not caring if it came off as bitchy. "I'll be at the restaurant in twenty."

"Good boy."

* * *

"Is he coming?" Serena's quiet voice asked Julia, the both of them sitting across from each other in the restaurant. It was ten minutes after she and Richie had talked, and the girls were already on their way, knowing that once the American girl mentioned knowing about Richie's magical side, he'd come running.

"He's coming." The girl remarked with a decisive nod, as she put down her menu.

The Japanese girl nodded silently, content with this knowledge. She meant Richie no harm, really, she didn't, but some things needed to be said, and he needed to listen. "Do you know what you would like?"

Julia nodded simply, as her water with lemon and Serena's Dr. Pepper were set down. "I always know what I want from here. But, I'm going to wait, because we're waiting for someone else." As soon as she spoke the words, the bell above the door rang, and then Richie ended up walking in. "And here he is. Want something?"

"An explanation." The boy replied without preamble, plopping into the seat next to Julia.

"Well, I meant food, but an explanation works just as well." Julia replied in return, sipping her soda lightly. She watched as Richie raised an eyebrow, not saying anything. "Really? You really need me to tell you that it's a surprise that three witches who've practiced magic their entire lives and a vampire and his family were able to sense you?"

"What do you mean-?" Richie's surprised question was abruptly cut off, before he looked over at Serena, who simply smiled quietly and waved. "Oh my god." His head went to the table, forehead plunking against it.

"We can sense you from a mile away, Richie. We knew you were different the second you walked into school. Chances are, Edward and his family knew it, too."

"How? How did you guys see through me so easily?" The boy's head lifted off the table, looking between Julia and Serena.

"I have been practicing magic my whole life, even in Tokyo." Serena told him gently. "I could tell that you had not done a spell in a long while when you arrived."

Off of Richie's confused look, Julia added on. "Magic backs up after awhile. Makes you easier to spot if you don't do it for a long time, and more than just trying to shield your mind from dark wizards or a spell to keep rain off of you."

"I didn't know any of this!" Richie protested honestly, eyes wide. "Here I was thinking that I was protecting myself, and yet all I was doing was calling more attention to myself?"

Julia nodded simply. "Pretty much."

"But, you have me! And Alicia! And Julia!" Serena said quickly. "We will help you. Teach you so that you may protect yourself better."

"Especially from the vampires." Julia dded on.

That was something that got Richie's full attention. "How'd you know about him? And Alicia? I never would've guessed, and I was...still am, I think...dating him."

Julia shrugged. "It was just a matter of process of elimination. They'd come out in the daytime when it was cloudy, but never be seen when it was sunny. They'd never eat. Alicia and I both had cases of Edward looking at us weirdly when we'd scream thoughts at him the few times we talked to him, and yesterday, after she left you and him since you fainted, Alicia told me she said that she knew what he was, and that's what caused him to exit stage right. Just little things that we put together with some research over the past year and a half."

"None of us can figure out why he is so fixated on you." Serena said quietly, lightly sipping at her own drink. "It is...how you say...preplaxing?"

"Perplexing, dear." Richie corrected her, giving her a smile, thankful for her gentle way of breaking everything. "And I don't know, either. All I know is that I'm drawn to him. I mean, he told me all of the qualities that, as a vampire, should repulse me, but..." He hesitated. "...they don't. His scent, his appearance, everything about him..."

"But, he's a vampire, Richie! He could kill you without so much as a second thought." Julia informed him pertly.

"I have observed how he watches Richie and I do not think he will." Serena interjected quietly.

Both of the Americans turned to look at her, Julia in barely contained fury, and Richie with a smile. "Then, explain how he goes from not dating anyone to suddenly exercising great restraint around him." Julia pointed out truthfully.

"You have read the stories." Serena told her quietly. "For a vampire, they can simply lay eyes on someone else and become infatuated with them. For them, they are their mate, the one they will choose to be with for the rest of their eternal life."

"Then, it sounds like Edward's only going to get seventy years, since his 'mate' is human." Julia's tone sounded disbelieving, like she didn't believe in vampires having mates.

Richie tuned the both of them out, mulling the words over in his head. Mates. It would make sense. Everyone else seemed to find Edward and his family gorgeous, but no one really took the time to get to know them. Richie stood up and blindly defended them without even knowing them, putting him directly in their orbit by his own doing. Edward ended up taking him to their home after he'd been attacked by Mike Newton and his football friends, instead of to the school nurse. From that moment on, it was like...something...had changed between the two of them. He couldn't pinpoint why the dynamic had suddenly changed between them both, but his magic had even pulled them together when they kissed for the first time. Even this morning, even just the entire day, he was the one who sent Edward away, yet he couldn't stop thinking about him. Get him off his mind. He still had a whirlwind of questions about Edward being a vampire, as well as the rest of the Cullens.

But none of it repulsed him. He wasn't reacting like Julia was, with disbelief and a seeming bit of phobia. He still saw the Cullens as friendly, he wasn't driven away by the fact that they were vampires. Now that his head was clearing up a bit, he could see the consequences of trying to run from who...and what...he was. He'd only called more attention to himself by repressing it, and it had called the Cullens' eyes to him, as well as made him obvious to Julia, Serena, and Alicia. He was still hurt by Edward keeping his vampirism from him, while he knew of his own secret, but he could most certainly understand where he was coming from in regards to keeping it under wraps.

But, he was a naturally curious boy, and it drove him to get answers to questions he sought. _And what better way to get answers than to go straight to the source?_


	26. These Times Are Hard

**_Chapter 25 - These Times Are Hard_**

**_Author's Notes: I own nothing, save for the storyline, the mistakes, Richie, Jillian, and Serena._**

_Thoughts are in italics._

* * *

"So, what's the deal with you and Edward?" He just sighed, scrubbing at his eyes with the heels of his hands, as Jillian sidled up next to him, the red of her shirt appearing in the side of his vision. The sight made his budding headache worse.

"Haven't you seen two people in a relationship?" He snapped back, entirely not in the mood to deal with her and her bullshit right now.

He'd backed out, lost his nerve about going to Edward and the Cullens and demanding answers as to what they were, how they got like that, as well as revealing his own supernatural talents. Thankfully, the lunch with Julia and Serena had opened his eyes to having more friends with magical abilities that he wasn't aware of. However, on the flip side, they'd also revealed that he wasn't being as cautious as he'd originally thought he was being. The combination of everything going on was putting him in a very bad mood. And now with Jillian pestering him over Edward, it was making his mood even worse.

"Did you turn him gay?" Once again, like any time his supervisor was asking him something and his answer was something she didn't like, it was like he hadn't spoken a single word.

He turned to her, his mouth a thin line, eyes flashing darkly behind his glasses. "Jillian. I know this might be a bit of a difficult concept for you to grasp, but I didn't turn him gay. He fell for me, because of who I was, not because of my anatomy! There **is** such a thing as loving someone for their personality, not for what they can do with their hips!"

The older girl snorted decisively, rolling her eyes at the younger male. "As if you'd know about doing anything involving the hips, aside from on yourself."

"Excuse me."

The quiet voice, laced with an Asian dialect, cut into their conversation, making the both of them turn toward the speaker. Both sets of eyes went wide in slight surprise, because Serena Kyoshi stood at the counter, with a Diet Cherry Pepsi in her hands. However, her companion was what caused one set to become utterly happy, while the other showed nothing but fear.

"I think she'd like to get rung up." Edward Cullen added onto Serena's statement, his face betraying nothing. Who knows how long the two of them had been standing there? Who knows how much of the conversation they had heard?

"I'm sorry." Jillian immediately jumped into action, reaching for the soda. "My coworker was being kind of difficult."

However, Serena held it back, refusing to hand it over to her, as Edward spoke up behind her. "It doesn't seem that way to me." The amber-eyed man's tone was ice, his eyes hard as stone as he stared down the form of his mate's drama queen coworker. "It seems like you were harassing him for gossip, when it's clear that he's in no mood to answer any of your inane questions." His eyes flashed a bit, as the human girl squirmed just the slightest bit. "And, to answer your question, since you need to learn how to keep your voice down, no, Richie didn't 'turn me' gay. I fell for someone kind, caring, and loving, based simply on their personality, and not on the fact that they were male or female. Because, little girl, my love is based on who the person is, not on labels." He turned his amber gaze to his mate, eyes softening in the space of the human boy's heartbeat. "I'd fall for him no matter what he was."

Having nothing to say to that, Jillian simply gave Edward what was supposed to be a defiant glare, but to the vampire's eyes, looked like the face of a spoiled child who hadn't gotten her way, before she flounced off toward the back room.

The words were strong in their conviction, but the very last thing the vampire said was what had Richie reeling. _I'd fall for him no matter what he was._ The words played over in his head as he rung Serena up in silence, accepting her money and handing her the change, feeling Edward's amber eyes on him the entire time. Once the Japanese girl stood back, the vampire took her place, holding out a credit card.

"Ten dollars on my car." He requested of his human mate, eyes beseeching for much more than just that single request.

Making the necessary preparations, and then sliding the card through, Richie struggled to keep his eyes on his work, to not let Edward and his presence affect him so. However, being this close to the vampire, getting hit with the other male's scent, seeing those amber eyes, hearing his velvet voice...his conviction to not get answers was wavering, making him start to flip flop back and forth once more. Clearing his throat quietly, he met Edward's amber eyes briefly, before looking at anywhere other than the vampire. "Will that be all...?" His voice was quiet, nearly a whisper, despite the fact that he wanted to come off sounding professional.

"You already know the answer to that." Edward watched as Richie winced, knowing that his words hit his mate straight in the chest. At the same time he leaned a bit, the human looked up, making their eyes meet and the both of them froze at the contact.

Richie opened his mouth, going to say something, _anything_, to beckon Edward to stay. He wanted the vampire to stay, explain, get the answers he so desperately wanted. But, this wasn't the time nor the place for such a discussion, he also knew that, too. And if the Cullens were so protective of such a thing, then simply airing it in the place he worked wasn't going to get them back in their good graces by any means.

"I miss you and I'm going to wait for you." Edward's voice was quiet, as the outside door buzzed, signaling that someone had just come inside...or walked out, since Richie no longer saw Serena standing with the amber-eyed man. "I mean it. I'm not writing you off, or letting you simply get away because I was foolish."

The vampire's words made Richie shake his head, thinking that they were the farthest thing from the truth. "Edward, you weren't-"

"I was." He cut him off, running a hand through his bedroom hair in frustration. "If I had been honest with you, none of this would have happened. You wouldn't have heard about what I really was from Alicia and we wouldn't be in this position right now."

_What is he talking about? **He's** not the idiot, here, **I** am!_ "Edward, you're not a fool. if anything, _I'm_ the one who-"

"**_Don't._**" The word passed by the vampire's lips quickly, though with an unmistakable growl to them. "If you value my sanity at all, you will _not_ say that you're the fool right now when you have nothing to feel guilty for."

Once again, the human winced. "Edward, I'm not going to value your sanity, especially when what you're saying is something that I can turn around and say myself, word for word." He heard something click together, though he didn't think the issue over, instead pressing onward. "I haven't told you my entire history, just like you haven't told me yours. There are still things we don't know about one another, and if you want to, we can-"

"It's time to mop the floors!" Jillian trilled, resuming her post behind the counter.

In that moment, Richie could've hit something. Because he was about to gather his courage and ask Edward to meet up and talk. Air their mutual history, the amber-eyed man's vampirism and allow him to reveal his wizarding skills, however small they may be. And, of course, Jillian had to come and utterly ruin their moment!

However, after letting his frustrations out in a groan, he found Edward still watching him intently. "Yes, I'd like to." And before he could offer up an affirmative response, the vampire leaned over the counter, claiming his lips quickly and desperately.

Though the kiss only lasted for a few seconds before he pulled back, clearing his throat and feeling his cheeks quickly getting warm as he hastily stammered out that he had to get back to work, he felt Edward's cool lips against his long after he'd left the store.


	27. What Are You Up To?

_**Chapter 26 - What Are You Up To?**_

_**Author's Notes: I'm truly sorry everyone. Life has been either crazy hectic or handing me things that are so negative that I have no desire or energy to write. Things are finally beginning to calm down enough to the point that I'm starting to get some ideas to my fanfics again. I own nothing save for the storyline, mistakes, Richie, Serena, Julia, and Amelia. Also, to the anonymous reviewer who asked if Richie looked like Gregg Sulkin, no, he didn't in my mind, but after seeing Gregg with glasses, I kinda like that suggestion and I can't stop thinking about that now. Thank you for that. =) Oh, and when he gets really nervous or frightened, he has a big stutter if he tries to talk.**_

_Thoughts and phone conversations are in italics._

_**Text messages are in bold and italic.**_

* * *

"Mm..." The boy simply sighed as he flopped ungracefully to his couch, running a hand through his brown hair as he felt himself finally relax from his night at work, what with Jillian the Slave Driver hounding his every move, especially after Edward and Serena came inside. Although, he had many theories that her behavior stemmed more from the bedroom-haired...vampire...than anything else.

And he had barely ten seconds of relaxation before he heard his phone vibrate, signaling a text message.

"Are you seriously _kidding me_ right now?" His voice held nothing but annoyance, wanting nothing more than to actually have a simple five minutes to himself to relax. And, of course, as soon as she took a seat, someone ended up shooting him messages. Heaving out an annoyed sigh, and batting away the small part of him hoping beyond anything to see Edward's name on the screen, he picked up his phone and unlocked it to see a message from Julia.

_**How was work tonight with the slave driver? =D**_

Almost immediately he shot back a reply, his mouth pulled into a peevish little frown. Mainly because she worked with Jillian by herself before. He distinctly remembered her saying she wanted to stab her own eyes out with a plastic fork due to the experience.

_**Go fuck yourself.**_

Getting up off the couch, he wandered into the kitchen, intent on grabbing a drink. Texting Julia could span minutes or hours, and he wanted to be justly prepared in case the second option was what he was in for tonight. His hand was in the refrigerator when his phone vibrated once more and he put down the bottle of Coke to check the message.

_**Why don't you do it for me instead? ;)**_

He choked on air as it was at reading that, and he was thankful that he wasn't taking a drink right now, otherwise it'd be all over his countertop. "What the hell? Is she drunk or something?" Not even stopping for a moment to consider why he was talking out loud to absolutely no one, he shot back a reply, grinning a bit as he did so.

**_Honey, I think my taste revolves more around muscles instead of boobs. Also, vampires instead of humans._**

There was a reply almost immediately.

_**Good point. But, I bet you're grinning like tonight never happened, aren't you? =)**_

It took him a second to realize that it was exactly what she wanted. Being smart, sarcastic, and just a bit vulgar is just how Julia was naturally, and she never failed to get his mind off of anything unpleasant when it came to work or Jillian. After all, he'd done it for her, listening patiently on all the ways she could lock Jillian in various rooms and then calmly leave the store without anyone realizing where the manager was locked.

_**Guilty. So, other than the cheering up, what'd you really want?**_

Wandering back into his living room, he once again took a seat on the couch, though it wasn't as much of an ungraceful flop as it had been when he first arrived home. Uncapping the soda, he took a swig of the liquid, before a reply came back to him.

_**Girls' day tomorrow? You, me, Serena, Chinese for lunch, lots of shopping, italian for dinner?**_

He nodded appreciatively at his phone, as if the other girl could see it through the screen. He had to admit, the idea was tempting, spend some time out of Forks, get away from everyone giving him weird looks because of his preference or who he was dating, get to know more about magic, maybe more about the Cullens.

**_Where we going? Seattle?_**

Obviously, they'd be leaving Forks. There was hardly anything around here for them to really do in the way of shopping, and they had just a few diners in town, nothing really like what the other girl was suggesting.

_**Port Angeles, nitwit. Seattle's too far and too expensive for our tastes.**_

He just laughed a bit, sending that to be a complete smartass and rile her up a bit, which worked as easily as he knew it would. Swigging back a bit of soda, he then typed her a reply, a smile on his face.

**_Yes, I'll go. What time are we leaving? And has Serena even said yes yet?_**

He could see her rolling her eyes in his mind's eye at the last question he sent, though it was slightly true. Julia had a slight habit of making plans without really consulting everyone before they were made. And with him being a mother hen of sorts, he wanted to make sure that everyone was aware of the plans before they were made.

**_Yes, Mom. She knows and she's coming, too. Around noon. And if I see Jillian, I'm running her over._**

"Such a vicious little thing." He muttered under his breath, with an amused little snort. He went about typing up a message to her, only for his phone to vibrate as he was doing so. Her chat remained unchanged, so he imagined it would be from Serena, informing him of tomorrow's event. Which is why he decided to ignore it to finish his reply to Julia before he responded to her.

_**I thought last time it was accidentally whacking her in the head with something.**_

Knowing he wouldn't be up half the night like he originally thought, he stood and wandered to the kitchen, intent on returning the soda bottle to it's place in the refrigerator. Flicking open his message list, he nearly walked into his kitchen table upon seeing that his other message wasn't from Serena at all like he'd originally thought.

**_Would you like to have our discussion tomorrow evening? We never did get to set a time, love._**

It was from Edward.

* * *

_Okay, maybe I will be up half the night after all._

He dimly remembered that being his first thought when he got the message from Edward, but everything after that was a bit of a blur. Almost like he was drunk, though he'd never imbibed a day in his life like his friends back in Pittsburgh did, despite their obvious age. He did respond, though in the negative, saying the truth in that he already had plans with Serena and Julia and had no idea as to when he'd return. However, the plan then suddenly shifted, leading to Edward saying he'd be over in a short while. And, every text he sent after that seemed to be in vain, as he got no reply from him.

_What the HELL is going on?!_ It wasn't like the bedroom-haired man to just simply ignore him after contacting him, especially in regards to what their recent separation was about. Richie knew Edward desperately wanted to try and make him listen about his being a vampire, and he was inching ever closer to wrapping his head around it and understood completely as to why the amber-eyed man had kept in secret for so long. But, this wasn't like him at all. To suddenly contact him, so late after a shift at work, and then suddenly vanish as if he hadn't contacted him at all...

Needless to say, it had the wizard getting worried.

Which is why he nearly flew about a foot into the air when his phone vibrated. This time with a call instead of a text message. And the call wasn't from Edward. It was from Alice.

"...hello?" His voice sounded utterly perplexed even to his own ears, and he was sure that his pixie friend would easily pick up on it.

However, instead of commenting on why he would sound so confused, he heard Alice let out an enormous sigh of relief. _"Richie, thank heavens you're alright."_

"Yes...I'm fine, Alice." The odd greeting did nothing to diminish his utter confusion. "Why do you sound so relieved? I mean, Edward should be on his way over-"

_"WHAT?!"_ The female's shrill voice echoed through the speaker, making him wince and hold the phone away from his ear quickly. However, he could still easily hear her voice communicating with him. _"Richie, Edward is sitting right next to me. He's not on his way to you. His phone was stolen earlier today."_

"But-" Thinking about just _how_ the other male got his phone stolen was something to be shelved. "If it wasn't- Th-Then, who..."

He felt himself going numb, possibilities flitting through his brain at lightning speed. As such, he missed Alice swear quietly, or her saying that she, Edward, and Jasper were on their way over immediately. He wasn't aware of much, not that he was still on the now-disconnected phone call, or that he was speaking out loud. "What if it's my parents? Or Justin? Or...I don't even know. Who in the hell could get their hands on another vampire's phone without them knowing about it?" His answer was a sickening crunch, like the sound of wood splitting or cracking.

And it had. Because there was a hole where his doorknob was not even two seconds ago.

Which left his front door free to be opened. By a woman with red hair a few shades lighter than Edward's, (a strawberry blond instead of bronze) a scarf that looked to be pure silk, and dressed to kill in expensive dress pants, a soft green colored blouse underneath, and heels that clicked ominously against the stone steps of his porch until they became silent from the carpeting of his living room. But, what really attracted the boy's attention was that her eyes were not an odd green color as he remembered. They were a bright red.

"I remember you, little boy. Do you remember me?" Her voice was low, seductive, much like he remembered when she was in.

"I-I waited on you. Amelia...right? H-How did you know where I live?" He swallowed thickly. He had no idea what she was. If she was a witch and using magic to make herself look like this. Or if she was something...**_else_**...entirely. He swallowed once more at his own thoughts, trying to shake off the overwhelming feeling of dread.

She chuckled, much like she was attempting to explain something to a child. "That's not important. What is, though, is that I've been keeping an eye on you. You're strong. You're powerful. And that kind of power is going to start worrying someone I care deeply about. And she and I can't have that, now, can we?"

Richie was sure the confusion was etched all over his face, but Amelia didn't elaborate on who it was that she was talking about. "So, I've been sent here to...shall we say..._take care_ of you." He swallowed thickly, feeling his eyes burn as realization quickly dawned on him. He couldn't shake the feeling of dread because he was going to die. She was sent here to kill him. "Hush, little boy. You'll make a midnight snack for me, nothing more, nothing less. I'd consider it a favor, instead of something gruesome my wife most likely has in store for you."

He tried to make his mouth work, attempt to get some form of any one of the dozen questions he had flying through his mind out, but no sound came. He was literally frozen to the spot, unable to take his eyes off this seductive creature about to drain him of life.

"And to answer your earlier question. A vampire with a magical ally can do loads without being detected." Amelia smiled lightly, and then he felt nothing but pain in the right side of his face, flying clear off of the couch and into the wall nearest it some seven feet away. He felt something connect with his stomach, sending him literally scooting across his floor, feeling bare skin being chafed from rugburn, until he connected solidly with the opposite wall on the other side of the room, hearing his head collide with a sickening crunch.

"It's a shame." His hands were seized just as quickly, his mind literally unable to process that he'd just been thrown about his small house in the space of seconds, due to the pain radiating in his head and now in his bound wrists. Amelia was holding them so tight that if she squeezed any tighter, she may very well break both of them without as much as a second thought. "I would have thought you would have put up more of a fight."

With that verbal shot, he was once again whizzing through the air, his face colliding with the wood of his front door, splintering the hunk of wood even more. He felt his head land sickeningly to the concrete steps, the warmth already spewing from the gash he sustained near his hairline from flying through his own front door. His glasses were lost, either laying in his living room or possibly destroyed thanks to Amelia's ambush. Either way, he wouldn't see what was coming, and he'd heard that any injury sustained hurt less if it was never seen coming. Though, he might not be fully conscious to see his death approaching. Fuzziness was teasing him, the wonderful blackness calling out to him, telling him to surrender himself to it. He couldn't speak, couldn't plead for her to spare him, only whimper painfully as his own blood spilled out onto the concrete of his front porch.

He heard a hiss, a gasp, and his head was grabbed from behind to expose his neck, the angle making blood drip into his already-blinded eyes. "I bet you're going to taste wondrous..." Any teasing Amelia may have done, any setting the scene for a possible 'animal attack' or 'mugging gone wrong' was over, he knew that instinctively just by the way she was grabbing him and exposing his neck. This was it, this was the end. He was going to die, and be left for Edward and the rest of the Cullens to find him.

Except that final blow never came. Nor did the inky blackness.

Because his head was dropped as if it burned her, caught quickly in a second pair of cool hands. And he heard Amelia scream loudly, as if she was literally flung away from him, followed by a loud thud of something hitting a tree several yards from his house.

"My beautiful boy..." He know that voice anywhere, even in his nearly current unconscious, possibly dying, state. It filled him with warmth, hope, just from hearing it. "...what has she done to you...?" There was a growl, more of a snarl, before his head was gently laid down, atop a jacket folded up to keep him off the cold concrete. "Call Carlisle! He needs to be here. Now!" There was a rush of wind, a chill that was almost deathly following in his wake. Then silence. Dead silence. Blackness coming for him. Swallowing him.

Faintly, he heard a voice of chimes, saying that he needed to get to the hospital. That he was attacked by another vampire...


	28. Tense and Waiting

_**Chapter 27 - Tense and Waiting**_

_**Author's Notes: I own nothing, save for the storyline, the mistakes, Alicia, and Richie. Also, I am not a doctor and I never will be, which is why if I misuse some of the medical terms in this chapter, I truly apologize.**_

* * *

It was very much unlike the last time Richie had been hurt.

Last time, he'd been hurt by human boys. Human boys who still grossly decided to make his mate their plaything, but still, the point is that they were human. Boys satisfied with getting their petty revenge out and leaving him in the courtyard. Petty little boys were attackers that Richie could easily get back at, if he so chose to.

This time, the attacker was not human. Instead, she was one of their own, seeming to want to split his skull open before she drained him of his blood. For what purpose, he had no idea, and he never would unless his mate woke up and recovered. And, unlike the human boys, she wouldn't be content with simply leaving him be afterward. He didn't need Alice, or to read minds, to know that she would be back, whoever she was.

In fact, he was surprised she had ran off as quickly as she had done so. Jasper had thrown her off Richie, and then gone after her himself, to give him something to focus on other than the smell of Richie's blood. Edward had gotten a look at the physical damage, before following his brother, intent on letting his rage out on the supernatural being that had caused such injury to his love. Alice had been left to inform Carlisle and the other Cullens of what had taken place.

Which is how the entire family, minus Carlisle, who was working Richie's case, found themselves in the waiting room of the neurological department, waiting as Richie was undergoing an MRI and a CAT scan. His head wound was stitched as soon as he came in, not needing any surgical procedure at that time. Now he was being tested for any internal injuries he may have suffered in the attack, to determine if he needed to go under the knife.

The waiting was excruciating, to say the very least. Not even Alice was looking into it, instead focusing her thoughts and energy on the female vampire that did this to her brother's mate.

"What, _exactly_, do we plan to do here?" Rosalie's voice cut the silence, everyone immersed in their own thoughts.

"What do you mean?" Jasper returned to her, doing his best to try and keep everyone as calm as he could.

"We have a few different scenarios here." The blonde flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Do we just plan on having him go back to his little shack, living on his own to be attacked by this woman again? Or what about his job? It's a public place, anyone can just walk in and take him there. Or attack him on his way home at night. That is, assuming he even recovers, since he hasn't regained consciousness yet."

In a flash, the space of his beautiful boy's heartbeat if he were in the room, Edward was in front of her, practically growling. "He's going to be **_fine_**."

Rose wasn't even fazed by the amber-eyed man's outburst. "And if he is, _once again_, what we going to do afterward? It's not like we can be with him 24/7." Her gaze lifted, took in each of her family members in turn. "Short of one of us getting a job at that gas station he works at, it would still leave all night unaccounted for."

"Not if I keep watch over him while he sleeps." Edward argued with her.

"And you're only one vampire." The blonde countered him easily, her voice a snap. "What if she comes back with several? One against several wouldn't work out very well, Edward. He's not worth all the trouble."

She resolutely ignored the look on her youngest brother's face, looking as if she struck him physically, and also looking as if he was holding himself back from doing that exact same thing to her. However, he never got the chance to do, much less say, anything.

"He's worth all of that and more."

Because Esme did. And she was wearing the face of a mother lion protecting her cubs.

"Rosalie, ponder your words for one moment. Have you ever seen your brother as happy as he is in Richie's presence? Thinking about him?" She never gave her older daughter a chance to answer. "No, you haven't. I know you, as well as everyone here and your father, have been concerned Edward has been missing something from his life. He's finally found it, in an adorably clumsy, danger-prone, and magical boy, who simply happens to be human. And, as you said yourself, someone can get a job where he works, but why not take it one step more?" She turned her attention to her youngest son, still standing in front of the blonde goddess. "Why not have him live with us?"

Several pairs of amber eyes blinked, taking in the matriarch of their family. Edward, for his part, mulled over the suggestion quickly, attempting to ignore his vampiric nature yelling to blindly say yes, for Richie was his, he'd be near and protected. In all truth, it would be beneficial to most everyone involved. Richie would be protected nightly while he slept, by the entire family and not just one of them. It's not as if it would be a hassle to get him to and from work, especially if one of them also landed a job there. They'd have to feed more often, to compensate for a human in their midst, but there really wasn't a particular downside.

He nodded slowly, as if agreeing and coming to the same conclusion as his own inner thoughts. "I'll have to discuss it with him first. But, I don't see any downsides."

"Save for Jasper trying to eat him." Rose muttered under her breath.

"I heard that." The Southern vampire spoke up, with a roll of his own amber eyes.

If it were any other situation, Edward would have laughed. If it were any other situation, he was sure any of his other family members would have laughed. As it was, none of them did, the tension in the air too thick, with both waiting for any update on Richie's condition as well as figuring out what to do to prevent something like this from happening again. Protecting him and keeping him safe were the best two options they had in front of them, but it could only go so far, especially if...whoever she was...got around all of them and got to his beautiful boy again. He was entirely certain that if she did, Richie wouldn't be alive after such an encounter.

* * *

"He'll be fine."

Alice's quiet voice cut through the silence like a knife, causing every pair of amber eyes to turn to her. Naturally, and not coming as a surprise to anyone in the room, Edward was the one to speak up. "How do you know? Have you heard something?" He hadn't heard anything from Carlisle, but he also knew that his father was very private about his thoughts when it came to his patients. He wouldn't hear anything from him until it was face-to-face.

"You'll be in his room, smiling at each other blissfully as he wakes up." In a flash, she was at the bronze-haired man's side, gently taking his hand to show him the vision that passed into her own mind. Just as quickly, he saw it as clear as if it was in his own head. And for the first time in several hours, he let off a smile. A true, genuine smile.

"Thank _god_." Esme's nearly breathless voice spoke up, upon seeing the elated look on her youngest son's face. It was _true_. Richie was going to be physically alright.

"Barring any unforeseen complications, he's going to be fine." Alice informed all of them, even though by this point all of them were aware of what was happening.

Edward's elation was palpable, as evidenced by the gigantic grin nearly splitting his face in half.

And, it just as quickly vanished, leaving behind a slight wary suspicion when the door to the waiting room opened, revealing not the Cullens' father. But, the very human Alicia Myers.

"I take it you're all waiting for Richie?" Her voice held none of it's usual snark or bluntness. Instead, it was soft with emotion, given the current situation.

And, given the current situation, as well as thinking of what his mate would want him to do to someone he perceived as a friend, Edward simply nodded, pushing away any of his personal feelings about the blonde girl in the doorway aside. "Yes, we are." His amber gaze flickered to his mother for a beat of the girl's heart, looking for a subtle nod or shake of her head. When he saw the slight nod, he turned his gaze back to the blonde. "Would you like to stay with us?"

Alicia nodded her own gratitude. "Please, if it's not a bother?" She made it a question, but it was clear that her intent was to stay. Almost immediately, he felt calming waves hit him, a result of Jasper trying to gauge him to calm down, having been aware of what happened with the human girl in the restaurant.

Though, the amber-eyed man had a bit of a bigger problem in store for him now.

Mustering the patience for waiting for his mate to wake up was one thing. Dealing with the magical talents of one Alicia Myers was another thing entirely.


	29. It's All Over Your Face

_**Chapter 28 - It's All Over Your Face**_

_**Author's Notes: I wish there was something I could say about the severe lack of an update. Really, I can't say anything that's adequate enough. Severe writer's block is the truth, yet it doesn't seem good enough. All I can say that I have intense gratitude to everyone who stuck by this story since the beginning, as well as the fans that came on without my knowledge. I truly thank all of you, from the bottom of my heart.**_

_**I own nothing, except the storyline, the mistakes, Richie, and Alicia.**_

_Thoughts are in italics._

* * *

He was there, but also not. He was aware of his family having quiet conversation with the human girl next to him, but he was unaware of the words being spoken. He was too far in his own head, too lost in his own thoughts to pay any attention to anything going on around him. His mate was in the hospital, likely getting stitched up by his own father. Simply because he was associated with him. He'd been attacked simply because of association with him. Not just once, but twice.

The thought would have made him violently ill if he were still human. As such, the thought made him nearly break the wooden arms of the chair he was sitting in. He knew it would continue to happen, like Rosalie had said. His fragile, human love would continue to be attacked by a member of his own kind, if not more of them. Whether it be her, the wife she mentioned, or someone else entirely. Until one of them ended up succeeding. Until one of them ended up draining him dry. Edward would follow him to his grave within hours of the final beat of his heart.

Or, he would leave him first.

The thought was equally as distressing as thoughts of Richie's death at the hands of another vampire. Edward didn't want to leave his mate, not by any stretch of the word. But, if leaving him meant that he would be safe, then he would do it. It would take every ounce of willpower in his being in order to do so, but he could do it. At least he thought he could.

He would never leave the human's side entirely, he'd always be watching over him. He did it before without Richie's knowledge, he could do it again. He would resolve to a short 70 years of heartbreak until the one he loved had died a natural human death. Rather than a violent one at the start of his life.

A nudge to his upper arm made him break out of the statuesque trance he'd placed himself in. The contact was far too light to be that of any member of his family, and his amber eyes immediately fell to the only human in their midst at the current moment.

"I know what you're thinking." Alicia's blue eyes stared into his amber one behind her frames. It was slightly unnerving, how he almost believed that she knew exactly the thoughts racing through his head. Still...

"Oh?" A perfectly sculpted brow raised, skepticism evident in that simple motion.

"You're not going to leave him." The human girl's words were serious, as if she had heard them directly from Edward himself. "I know you're thinking it, it's written all over your face. But, I also know that you won't do it."

"It's for the best." Edward's argument was simple. The image of his mate happy with another was torture, but necessary. He would be willing to bear that if it meant Richie would be alive.

"Except it's not." Alicia cut in easily. "He'll follow you. Mark my words when I say that he will follow you. He will track you down with the ferocity of a bloodhound, and he'll never rest until he finds you. Or he'll die trying. Either way, you'll torture him for the rest of his life if you leave him now. However short it may be. Attacks or otherwise."

Edward's other brow joined it's counterpart, both nearly going into his permanent bedroom hair. "And you know this from personal experience?" His question came out mocking, though it was of genuine curiosity. Any inking as to what the girl, and his mate by association, could be would help him and his family out in any way. Whether to protect themselves or to protect his mate from others.

"I do." Any trace of Alicia's conviction leeched out of her words with that simple sentence. It was like she grew up right in front of Edward's eyes. It was like she was no longer a simple high school student with the problems of a teenage girl. It was like she knew the feeling of the one she loved getting taken away from her. "I know how it feels to be enamored with someone, on a level beyond comprehension. He left me, I followed him, he ended up dying trying to fight who he was at his core."

The vampire's marble forehead creased as he took in the blonde girl's story. Except, he had the feeling that it wasn't just a simple story. He had the feeling that she had lived through it, and he didn't need to tap into her mind (not that he could, he'd already tried and found it as silent as his mate's) to know her words were genuine. He believed her. And he ended up running a hand through his bronze hair in frustration.

"No wonder he got so quiet." Jasper's Southern drawl shocked him a bit more into the reality of the situation. He'd honestly forgotten his own family were there.

"Were you really thinking of leaving him? Especially at a time like this?" Esme's amber gaze pinned him to his seat. Though, she did not raise her voice at all, Edward felt as if he'd just landed himself in a massive amount of trouble. He never got the chance to answer, as she continued on without waiting for his answer. "Edward, listen to me. Leaving him is not a decision to take lightly. You will be drawn back to him, on more than just a level than to see him. He is yours, and you are his. Human." She chanced a brief glance at Alicia, one that was as quick as the girl's heartbeat. "Or not. You will regret this decision if you see it through."

"What other choice do I have?" The bronze-haired man practically moaned the question out. In this moment, he truly felt not only his centuries-long life, but also the true age he was turned. It was conflicting, wanting what he wanted, but also having to live in the constant fear of Richie being harmed. "Him suddenly living with us won't fix everything. I want him in every way, but I also want to do what I can to protect him. Even if that includes leaving."

"Him staying with us will be a start." Esme's voice was firm, though gentle. Her youngest son needed to hear this, and she knew it. To understand this. She knew and understood that this was all new for him. Edward had finally found his mate, with the added hiccup of his human fragility. While it would require more protection, it was something that needed to be done. "You will not be able to leave him. You won't, any more than I can leave your father. Any more than Alice can leave Jasper. Any more than Emmett can leave Rosalie."

"Any more than I could have left my other half."

Alicia's quiet voice made every pair of amber eyes turn to her, every pair of eyebrows raised at her in silent question. "It's not my business to reveal what he is." The girl cut off abruptly, hastily amending her thought. "What we are. To any of you. Just like it wasn't my business to reveal what you are to him." She shifted a bit when she saw no one's look soften at her apology. No one but Esme's, that is. "And for that, I'm sorry. He's like me, and I thought I was doing something to protect him." Her gaze went to the bedroom-haired man sitting next to her. "I can see now that I reacted hastily, and that I had a part to play in putting him in this situation. If it wasn't for me, he might not be here."

Edward couldn't deny that her telling his mate about what he was definitely had some part to play in their current situation. Dancing around each other, tentatively attempting to remain platonic even though everyone could see they didn't want to, Edward staying away to leave his mate unprotected and vulnerable. But, the fact that she was contrite about it all instead of simply laying the blame on him was a factor he also couldn't ignore.

"Thank you." He wasn't just saying the words. He felt them.

She gave him a simple nod in response, her smile apologetic. Though, it fell off her face when she turned to the rest of the family, her tone and posture becoming business-like. "I'll offer up my help as best as I can, as well as offer any of my gifts. I can see that I had a part to play in him getting attacked by another vampire, and I'd like to help keep Richie safe in any way I can. Just know that I have some form of an understanding of how much Edward and Richie mean to each other, and to sever that bond would be traumatic on both of their sides."

She spoke like she knew it from personal experience, and Edward had no doubt that she did. She referred to this unnamed figure as her 'other half', but the words carried more weight than the words the local high-schoolers tossed around to describe every relationship they'd been in. He knew she meant the words like they were supposed to be meant, just like the bond between him and Richie couldn't be ignored.

That was where he was conflicted. He had no desire to leave his mate, but also wanted to protect him at any and all costs. There was no other option. He could leave, but he would only be drawn back, as his mother had said. Richie could stay with them, but everyone knew that vampire would be back. There was only so much him, his family, and Alicia could do. Of course, there was another option...

The thought hit him as fast as the sheer terror did. _To put him through that kind of pain...would it be worth it? Even to protect him..._

_Richie could be turned._


End file.
